Surreptitious Devotion
by Princess.Nessa.of.Mirkwood
Summary: What if their attraction to each other got the better of them from the start. Powerless to stop it, BB are in for the adventure of their lives. Full Disclaimer: I don't own any of it! This is not a new chapter - PLEASE READ...
1. Prologue : Pilot

**Surreptitious Devotion**

**Prologue : Pilot**

Okay, so what if they've been a couple all along, they've just been keeping it under wraps. What if their attraction to each other got the better of them from the start, and things just spiraled out of control from there. This story goes all the way back to the pilot episode and changes their relationship from that point on. You'll get more out of the story if you can go back and watch the scenes being refered to from the episodes - like this one from the shooting range. Uses dialog from the show. Disregard any and all relationships they've had with others in the series. I own nothing, but boy do I love to play with them.

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"You know, homicides, they're not solved by scientist. They're solved by guy like me asking a thousand questions, a thousand times, catching people telling lies every time." he said, severely encroaching on her personal space. He braced a hand on the metal wall beside her head, continuing his rant. "You're great at what you do, Bones, but you don't solve murders,... cops do." he finished, his face only inches from hers.

"Cleo Eller was killed on a cement floor sprinkled with diatomaceous earth, traces of her blood will still be on that cement. One of us is wrong," she said, noticing his gaze flicking to her partially open mouth, "maybe both of us. But if Bethleham wasn't a senator you'd be right there in his basement looking for that killing floor. You're afraid of him. Your hypothesis is that squints don't solve murders and cops do. Prove it." she challenged him. "Be a cop."

Booth made no verbal reply, choosing instead, in a highly unexpected move, to latch his mouth onto hers in a bruising kiss, his larger body pinning hers to the metal partition behind her. She was at first unresponsive to his talented lips and tongue, shocked to find herself in a liplock with the infuriating federal agent. She was planning on placing her hands on his chest to shove him away, but instead of pushing him off of her, her arms wound around his neck, drawing him more firmly to her. Her mouth joined the fray, angling against his, and she became an active participant in the impromptu make-out session. When passing out from a lack of oxygen became a very real concern, they reluctantly pried their lips apart, the action causing a noisy 'smacking' sound. They stared, bewildered, into each others eyes as they gasped for air, trying to catch their breath.

"What... the hell... was that?" Brennan asked, panting for air.

"A huge mistake." he rushed out, breathing deeply.

"Uh, yeah!" she enthusiastically agreed with him. "We can't do that again." she reasoned just as she gave into the urge to lean forward and suck his bottom lip into her mouth.

"Absolutely not." Booth added, their mouths still taking turns capturing and nibbling on each others lips. "This is a... huge mistake... uhm, taste good..."

"Un-huh." Brennan moaned into the kiss one last time as she forced herself to pull away from him. "We need to stop. We have to stop." she said to him as she pushed herself out of the cage of his arms. "I don't think this is allowed."

"No," he sighed heavily, "I don't think it is either. Pity though." he smiled sexily as she backed away from him towards the door.

"Yeah, quite the pity." Brennan smiled back at him, her own kittenish smirk on her lips, as she turned and exited the shooting range.

Booth, venting his frustration, quickly turned and fired two shots at the dummy target, hitting his mark on the head.

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This is only the itty-bitty prologue. Jucier stuff to come. I wanted to post this and see if anyone is interested in seeing where the story goes. If I get enough reviews I'll post the rest in installments. I hope you enjoyed. Toodles :)

P.S. Rating is going to change, fair warning...


	2. Chapter One : The Man in the Bear

Okay, her's where things start getting fun (ie, cue the smutfest). Hope you all enjoy. If you like the story, recommend it to others, the more reviews I get the more I feel like posting the next Chapters/Episodes. This one is an alteration of the bar scene from "The Man in the Bear".

Oh and for those who asked, the word surreptitious means clandestine, secretive, sneaky (like their love affair). I liked it, I thought it made an interesting title.

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"Mind if I cut in?" Booth asked as he smoothly gathered Brennan into his arms, rescuing her from the sheriff. "Thought you might need a break." he said more quietly to her.

"What happened to your shirt?" she asked, noticing several of the buttons on his blue dress shirt were undone, exposing part of his chest to her gaze.

"Well, we're in a bar, it's a look." he huffed.

"Everybody's pumping me." she said, finding herself confused by the growl of annoyance coming from Booth.

"I'm sorry?" he asked for clarification, not catching the meaning of her statement and not liking all the male attention she was receiving.

"For information on the case." she explained.

"Bones, they're only pretending to be interested in the case."

"Why?"

"They're hitting on you."

"Are you sure?" she asked with a pleased little laugh.

"Yes, I'm sure. And it's pissing me off."

"Wha..."

"You're the hottest thing this town has seen in a long time. But," he continued, "to bad for them, because tonight, me and you are gonna be the only ones doing any 'pumping'. Tonight, Temperance, you're mine." he huskily whispered into her ear as they kept dancing, him drawing her body closer to his own.

"Booth!" she said, exasperated.

"What Bones? I know you want me as bad as I want you."

"We talked about this after we kissed at the shooting range. This isn't a good idea."

"Arghh. Just remember what Angela said, 'What happens in Aurora, stays in Aurora.'" he repeated her friends words. "Come on, Bones, let loose for once in your life." he said, nearly pleading with her as he again brought her body into contact with his, this time making sure she felt how much he wanted her.

"Well," she paused as if in thought - a mere formality, seeing as she was as hot for him, as he was for her, "Dr. Goodman did advise me to connect with people while I was out here. That's why he said he wanted me to come with you. To start living my life"

"Yeah, connect, there will be all kinds of connecting, I promise." he smirked.

"Okay." she aquiesced. "But,... this doesn't go back home to D.C. with us. Just while we're in Aurora."

"Absolutely!" Booth said with a grin, willing to agree to any terms she set as long as it meant he got to spend the night in her arms and inside her body. "Come on, let's go to your room. You can show me that terrace you mentioned." he leered ar her as he led her by the hand out of the bar and towards the Evergreen Lodge.

"You just want access to my private bathroom..."

"Mostly I just want access to your hot little body, baby." he said provocatively. "Well that, and maybe the breakfast you promised to buy me can be in bed."

"We'll see in the morning if you deserve it." Brennan teased. "And don't call me baby."

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By the time they arrived at the door to Brennan's room, it was a miracle they hadn't been arrested for public indecency. Booth's dress shirt was undone down past his sternum and untucked from his pants, his belt was unlatched and hanging loose. Brennan's shirt was unbuttoned and pushed down over her shoulders but still on her arms, exposing her the column of her throat to Booth's attentive mouth, as he alternately sucked, licked, and nibbled any skin he could get his lips on.

"Booth." she murmured, her head lolling to the side. "Stop."

"No, don't want to, I love the way you taste." he replied as his mouth traveled to the crook of her neck, licking on her pulse point.

"I can't seem to get the door to open. If you'd just stop for a second so I can let us inside, you'd be able to taste me all you want."

"Hmph! Fine get us inside." he reluctantly removed himself from her body, just long enough for her to open the door, then he took up his task again as soon as they were inside.

"Don't you want to see the terrace? Wasn't that why we came up here?" Brennan teased him as he proceeded to hastily remove her overshirt followed closely by her green camisole.

"Right now, I just want to see you." Booth rasped out, unclasping her lacy bra and slowly sliding the straps down her arms, exposing her to his passionate gaze. "God, these are... you're beautiful, amazing." he whispered as he cupped her breast in his large hands.

"They're just breast, I've never understood the facination with..."

"They're perfect." he cut her off, stopping her rant when he began to tease one nipple between his thumb and forefinger, the other with his lips, teeth, and tongue.

"Ooh!" Brennan sighed at the feelings he was stirring within her. "You're... take off... to many..." she stuttered trying to speak coherently but not succeeding.

Booth's mouth released her breast with a 'pop' as he turned his eyes to her face. "You trying to say something Bones?"

"Your clothes, get them off. Now!"

"We're not in a hurry. It's only eight o'clock, we have all night."

"Good, then we'll have plenty of time for foreplay later. Right now, I want you out of your clothes and inside of me." she told him, clearly leaving no room for discussion.

"Are you always this bossy and impatient when it comes to sex?" he questioned her with a laugh as he shed his shirt and went to work on his pants, shoes, and socks.

"Only when I want to be." she coyly replied, as she, now naked, layed back on the bed and began to wiggle her way up to the headboard.

"God, you're a gorgeous sight." he said looking his fill at her body, laid out bare before him.

"Your quite nice to look at also." Brennan admired his tanned and tonned body as he stood before her. "C'mere." she crooked her finger at him.

Booth kneeled on the bed, ready, willing, and eager to continue their night of debauchery. "Oh, wait, condom." he stated as he turned to dig one out of his wallet, now on the floor inside his dress pants, only to be stopped by her voice.

"Don't need it. I have a contraceptive implant. We're good. So... get up here."

"No need to tell me twice." he grinned, proceeding with his crawl up her body. "Are you sure you don't want me to... get you ready?" he asked settling his body atop hers, his errection already begining to nudge it's way inside.

"If you couldn't tell already, I'm more than good to go. We'll do all that next time." she replied as her legs wrapped around his waist, using them to draw him into her body. "Uhmmmmm..." she moaned as he was finally seated fully within her.

"God,... damn it." he breathed out harshly as his head fell to lay beside her on the pillow. "Give a guy some warning before you do that." he snarked, trying to keep from making a fool of himself. "You've gotta give me a minute. I've wanted you so bad,... I just need a minute."

Brennan's reply to his overly excited state, was to run soothing circuits with her hands all over his muscular back, waiting for him to calm down.

Booth gave no verbal notice that he was okay to proceed, he insted withdrew from her body, nearly all the way out, only to slowly push his way back inside her warmth. "Tell me why we didn't do this a helluva lot sooner?"

"Bad idea for partners." she eeked out as he once again withdrew.

"I don't know," he continued, placing a smothering kiss on her open lips, "I think it might help us be even more productive at work. Less sexual tension, frustration." he added, his speech strained, his pace increasing.

"Yeah, but," she broke in, her hips now working on tandem with his, "I think the sex might distract us."

"No worse than I am normally. You're always pretty distracting Temperance." Booth said, changing his angle of entry ever so slightly, causing Brennan's eyes to go wide, her mouth to gape open, and her neck to arch back. "Guess what I just found." he teased with a chuckle, pleased with the look of ecstasy he was able to bring to his partners beautiful face as he struck an especially sensitve spot.

"Ungghh!... oh, faster..." she ground out as her lips sought his, ceasing all speech.

The only sounds to be heard in the room were their grunts, groans, and moans as they drove each other to the edge of pleasure and beyond, they're names spilling from each others lips as the crashed into their mutual releases.

They lay entwined, his body still partially over hers as they regained their breath.

"You okay Bones? Still with me?"

"Yeah, I'm good. You good?"

"I am great!" he said sounding very content, rolling onto his back, pulling her to rest against him.

"Can we please do that again?" Brennan asked, raising her head, propping her chin on his chest so their eyes could meet.

"Hell yeah! I'm all for doing that again as soon as possible." he leaned forward so their lips could touch softly. "So, did I pass the test, do I get breakfast in bed?"

"Oh, you definately get breakfast in bed. And I'm sure by the time we're done here tonight I'll be buying you lunch and dinner as well." she laughed happily, placing hot open mouthed kisses all over his chest.

"Baby, your gonna owe me alot more meals than that by the time I'm done with you." he said lifting her face to his, kissing her deeply.

"I'm not your baby." she broke the kiss briefly.

"No, you're my Bones." he claimed her mouth again, stalling any further argument about his choice of a pet name for her.

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Woohoo, that was freaking long. I hope that wasn't to 'smutacular' for you all. I'll try to post more tomorrow. Review please... Toodles :) 


	3. Chapter Two : The Man in the Wall

Okay, so this is just going off a few tiny scene's from 'The Man in the Wall'. No real smut in this one, I wanted to show other aspects of a relationship developing (even if it is reluctantly). Also, _NO Tessa!_ - yay!!! This is way long, but I figure that's okay with everyone. Disclaimer still in effect. Enjoy.

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"Okay, how about this. DJ Mount trusted Eve because they were sleeping together, so, she meets him in the wall, takes the drugs, kills him for Rulz, Eve takes off." Booth said thinking out loud as they drove back to the Jeffersonian.

"Yeah, you should write fiction."

"What, 's reasonable." he shrugged.

"It's not based on evidence, it's conjecture..."

"Look, I'm positing a scenario, we've been through this before." he snarked at her.

"Yeah-a, and it all seems to be a waste of time. Now, finding a marker on a bone..."

"No! Y'know, I think I need a vacation. I think you do to."

"Well I'm not the one who's snippy."

"Snippy?" he laughed humorlessly, "What're you... seventy?"

"See what I mean. I think you should find a nice relaxing place to go on that vacation." she said as Booth groaned. "Somewhere where you could get a massage, maybe do some yoga..."

"You know what I find relaxes me, Bones? Sex, lots and lots of sex. Helps me release tension, among other things. So... what'd'ya say Bones, wanna _come_ with me?" he asked, his sentence purposely full of innuendo.

"Booth!" Brennan shook her head at his blatently asking her for sex. "When we were in Aurora, before anything had happened, I said that our sexual relationship did not extend outside of Aurora, it couldn't come home with us. You agreed."

"No, I just went along with what you said, I made no statement that I would abide by your rules."

"Well, my stating the terms of the arrangement and then our subsequent copulation sealed the deal." she tried to explain.

He laughed. "What, does the exchange of bodily fluids now serve as a contract?"

Brennan let out a frustrated growl. "We cannot continue the physical relationship we started while we were in Aurora. If people found out it might cause problems for our work."

"Might being the operative word." he fought back. "Besides, I didn't say we had to continue our physical... have sex here. I said vacation sex. Somewhere tropical, hot, lots of sun, you in a tiny bikini..."

"Let's say I decide to go with you. What do I tell everyone at the Jeffersonian, how do I explain us vacationing together without someone figuring out... everything else?"

"I don't know,... you could..." he paused, scratching his neck, trying to think. "Ha, I got it. They all know I was planning on going somewhere already. We can tell them I was seeing someone who was supposed to go but, that's over now and I've got an extra non-refundable ticket. I'll even ask you in front of Ange, make it convincing. You can act annoyed..."

"Like I am now." she grumbled.

He ignored her and kept speaking. "...I'll talk you into it. They'll buy it, you'll see." he looked over at her, his charm smile on for full effect. "Come on, Bones. Think how relaxed we'll be after a week of fun, sun, and sex."

"I think chances are pretty good I wont be able to walk right for days. Last time I actually think my hips were out of alignment..." she mused.

"Well we were a bit... enthusiastic before. This time if we get to rough, I'll get you one of those massages you were going on about." he bribed her.

She huffed. "You better make it convincing when you ask me." she accepted after a minute or so of silence, without ever actuallty saying 'yes'.

"I'm a very good actor. No one will suspect anything, promise." he sounded pleased with himself now that she had caved.

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"Bones, Bones." Booth shouted entering the lab. "Bones," he said more quietly when he spotted her talking with Angela. "Did you not hear me yelling for you?"

"I heard you, I just didn't care. You assume that simply because you yell for me that I, as a female, am supposed to come to you, just because you called. That assumption is degrading."

"You are too much sometime, Bones, you know that." he said frustrated, as his hand swiped over his face. "I was going to be nice to you, but now..."

"How were you going to be nice?" she asked, sounding intrigued, even though she alredy knew what was going on - this was his staged scheme to get her to go on vacation with him.

"You know about my relaxing getaway? Well, there was someone going with me and she... things have changed and I have this non-refundable ticket that was just gonna go to waste, so..." he shrugged. "Now, my traveling companion is named... Temperance Brennan. Pack your bags Bones, we're going to Jamaica." he announced, an excited smile on his face, as he pulled her ticket out of the inner pocket of his suit coat.

"Oooo, sweetie, Jamaica with the G-man." Angela cooed.

"No, huff, Booth, I cannot just... go to Jamaica with you on a whim." - 'This', Brennan thought, 'is really fun'.

"Why not? I know you've got vacation time you can take. Give me one good reason why you wont go."

"Well, work for one thing."

"You can't do cases without me." he grinned.

"I've got unidentified bodies from bone storage I'm planning on ID-ing while you're gone." she fired right back.

"They'll still be in bone-land when we get back."

"Yeah, Bren, you really should go, have a nice time, relax. You two can share a bed." Angela chimed in, her eyebrows dancing in amusement.

"Whoa - no, no sharing a bed." Booth protested, quite convincingly, in Brennan opinion. "There's a hide-a-bed in the room, we can take turns sleeping on it. Come on, Bones, I'll even spring for a spa day for you, if you go. Please?"

She hesitated for a long moment. "Fine." she played along. "But, it better be a nice spa package."

"Only the best for you Bones." he smiled, doing a goofy victory dance, happy she 'play' agreeed, as he walked towards the lab exit. "You wont be sorry, Bones, you're gonna have a great time."

"Bren, this is totally your chance." Angela commented after Booth had gone. "Jump him while you're down there, blame it on alcohol, whatever, just, jump him..."

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"Booth, something tells me this is not a normal room." Brennan observed as they explored their suite of rooms at the Sandals Whitehouse European Village & Spa. "The bathroom is enormous and marble. And the bed looks out onto the caribbean. You changed your reservations when I agreed to come with you, didn't you?" she asked as she looked out the bedroom windows down at the beach and ocean, while Booth was rummaging through his suitcase.

"Uhm, yeah." he said, sounding shy, unsure. "I was booked at the Montego Bay resort, it's more of a party spot. This one's more laid back. It's got secluded beaches, so I can get you to just sit on the beach and forget all about work, like we talked about at Sid's before we left. And," he said as he walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist, "it's got a spa - just like I promised - to fix you right up in case we get a little to..."

"Enthusiastic, wasn't that the word you used before?" she leaned back against his broad chest, sliding her arms overtop of his.

"Yeah." he smiled against her skin as he bit at and then soothed with his rough tongue, the sensitive spot behind her ear. "I got you a present." he whispered into her ear.

"Something more than all of this?" she asked baffled, starting to feel overwhelmed by everything.

"Well, it's kind of for me too." he pulled away from her body and went to his bag. Turning back around to face her, he held in his hand a pink Victoria's Secret bag.

"Tell me you did not buy me a negligee."

"Most people call them nighties, and no, I didn't. When we're in the bedroom, I much prefer you in nothing. Here open it." he held it out to her.

Brennan took the gift, removed the tissue paper and reached into the bag, pulling out two items - a halter bikini top and matching bottoms, both done in brown with gold and jewel tone accents, arranged into a vibrant indian sari pattern. "It's beautiful, thank you." she pecked him sweetly on the lips. "But, why? Did you really think I wouldn't bring a bathing suit?"

"No, I knew you would. But I figured if I wanted to see you in a sexy little bikini, I'd have to be the one to bring it. Because I know you. I knew you'd bring a suit, and it would be a black, one piece, modest, monstrosity, that my mother would wear."

"It is not." she said indignantly. "It's navy blue." she quietly added, knowing he was right.

"I rest my case. Go put it on." he urged her to the bathroom. "When you get changed we can head to the beach."

"Okay, I'll be right out."

When Brennan emerged from the bathroom cald in the skimpy bikini, self consciously tugging at the halter top, trying to get the material to better cover her ample chest, Booth, now wearing his crazy, blue, hawaiian print board shorts, was just hanging up the phone.

"Who were you calling?" she questioned, giving up on willing the small scrap of fabric to cover more flesh.

Booth let out a catcall at the sight of her, standing there in the figure flattering swimsuit he knew would look killer on her body. "Baby, you look gorgeous."

"Booth..."

"I know, don't call you baby." he raised his hands surrendering to her request. "Sometimes it just slips out." he placated her. "I called room service. They're gonna bring us up the Island Specialty Sampler for dinner at seven o'clock. And, I got us scheduled for a couples massage at two o'clock tomorrow afternoon. I'll have sufficiently worn you out by then, I'm sure."

"Couples?" she balked at his choice of words, feeling more and more apprehensive.

"Bones, breathe. Just go with the flow, 'we're in Jamaica mon'." he tried to make her laugh, adopting an atrocious rastafarian accent.

"I think I'm doing very good with everything, considering the fact that I was press-ganged into coming on this romantic vacation with you. And," she continued, "if you recall, we were not supposed to have anything but a professional relationship after we got back from Washington state." she rambed, her voice getting louder with each anxious breath she took.

"Yeah, yeah, sing a new one Bones." he mumbled to himself as she kept ranting.

"And yet, here I stand in this suite, on Jamaica, with you, ready for a week of sex. I'm wearing a bikini you bought me - which I must say barely covers my breast, just like I'm sure you planned it _wouldn't_ - like I'm your... I don't even know. So, this," she gestured, her arms swirling around her, "is me doing the best I can at going with the flow, whatever the hell that means." she fussed at him.

"I know, Temperance, you're doing great. Let's get you a rum punch, huh, that'll make you feel better." he said in a soothing voice, trying to calm her. 'Yeesh, I wonder how much she'd freak if she knew this was the honeymoon suite.' "Okay?"

"Yeah, rum punch sounds good. A lot of rum punch." she whined, crossing her arms across her chest - until she noticed this caused the bathing suit top to nearly expell her chest from it's confines. She quickly dropped her arms back to her sides.

"Everythings is going to be fine, Bones. I'll be here to walk you through all the scary vacation activities." he joked, this time succeeding in getting a small laugh from her as she realised she was probably panicking for no good reason.

"Can we just stay at the beach for a little while." she asked him in a more normal tone of voice.

"Uh, yeah, sure, I guess. Why?"

"I think I need to have sex, because your right, it's very relaxing. The release afforded by sexual..."

"Right, we'll do the beach later." he said reaching for her with one hand, while his other was busy trying to push his board shorts off his hips.

"Sex now is good." Brennan sighed, already more relaxed at the prospect of a good hormone release.

Booth removed her suit and laid her back on the bed, gently moving her long legs apart, taking up a spot between them. He was more than willing to forego the beach for now. Especially when it was for something as wonderful as this. Sex with Brennan had quickly become somewhat of an addiction for Booth, one which he was never interested in overcoming. Ever since Aurora, he couldn't get the thought of her out of his mind, the feel of her, the taste of her - he found himself craving the taste of her. He smiled at the thought - 'a taste' was exactly what he was in the mood for, he was pretty sure she'd be okay with the idea also. He loved the sounds he coud get her body to make when he gave her the attention she deserved. And that, was exactly what he was going to do right now, he decided, settling into posistion to give her the pleasure they were both craving.

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Just a wee lil smutlet for you. Sorry it's taken me longer than I thought to post this. Real life got busy for a bit. I'll try to do better on posting when I say I will. Thanks so much for all the interest in the story, I was worried at first how it would be received, so all your messages and reviews have been great (and I know it's on a lot of peoples alerts - awesome). Anyway, I'm glad your enjoying it, and I hope I don't disappoint you all. More soon... Toodles :) 


	4. Chapter Three : The Man on Death Row

Hey all, sorry for the delay. I got distracted writing extra scenes in Jamaica. Someone mentinoed it might be neat to continue the vaca, so I wrote some totally pointless smut - but alas decided it didn't advance the story. It'll be posted at my LJ soon, along with other more MA scenes. I'll give the addy when I finish setting it up. I also wanted to say that I know Bren is probably OOC in some of this, but take into consideration the fact that (1) this is fiction, and (2) she would have to be slightly OOC to start right into a relationship with Booth. So, if you don't like it, sorry. More smut next time...

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"Bones, you don't need a gun. If anyone needs shooting, I'll do it." Booth tried to reason with her as they wove their way through the hall to his office.

"But what if you're injured, or dead and someone still needs shooting." At Booth's look of annoyance she struggled to explain. "I'm not hoping it happens, I'm just stating a possibility."

"C'mon, you know what, Bones, you're a professor, right, not an FBI agent, 'kay. Use your mutant powers, just talk people to death." Booth grumbled at her when they reached the door to his office.

"Am I interrupting?" a red-headed woman standing in his office asked.

"I told them not to let you in the building. I gave them your picture." he spoke to the red-head very tersely.

"Which is why I wore the tiny skirt."

"Very cute." he said sarcastically, going to search for something behind his desk.

"Amy Morton." she introduced herself to Brennan, extending her hand.

"Temperance Brennan."

"You work with Booth?"

"Yes, I'm a forensic anthropologist."

"I'm a defense lawyer, I usually work against Booth."

"If it's all the same," Booth broke in, waving a file madly around, emphasising his irritation, "I'd prefer you two didn't bond, in any way."

"Hey, I want to get back to the lab." Brennan said very much wanting to get away from the uncomfortable tension in the room. She didn't like the feeling she had in the pit of her stomache. She felt unsettled, not liking the familiarity with which this woman spoke with Booth. "You said I could fill out some gun reapplication forms."

"Here ya go. Send it back by courier, no hurry." he handed her the papers and rushed her from the office.

"Nice to meet you." Brennan called to Amy as she was ushered out the door. Something about Booth's dismissal of her in the presence of another woman, with whom he appeared to have a history, rubbed her the wrong way. She hated feeling like this, she knew before the trip to Jamaica was going to make things harder once they got back, and it had.

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"Hey Bones, what're you doing this weekend?" Booth asked as he approached where she was examining remains.

"I have plans." she said shortly.

"C'mon, I'm serious."

"I figured with the defense lawyer your weekend must be completely booked." she added, quickly walking away from him, clearly upset - though Booth wasn't sure why.

"Whoa, Bones." he whispered as he rushed to catch up with her. "What's going on, why the fuss about Amy?"

"Why the fuss?" she huffed, frustrated, mostly with herself, as she entered her office, taking a seat in her desk chair. "Jamaica was a very bad idea. A huge mistake." she said, her voice raising in volume.

"Hold on a second. I thought we had a really amazing time. You said so yourself. What happened to get you to change your mind?"

"It was nice, but, we never should have,... arghh, this is so..." she felt like screaming. "A week in Jamaica, doing whatever we wanted, acting like we were together... it's hard to just turn it off, okay."

"Bones..."

"No, I'm just saying... I'm doing it, I just... I didn't like seeing her in your office acting like..." she stopped trying to collect her thoughts. "I didn't like it, another woman you know and have most likely..."

"Temperance, stop." he said slowly, quietly. "There's nothing between me and Amy. Never was, never will be. Listen to me okay. You're not the only one having a hard time trying to get back to the D.C. routine. The tiniest thing can happen, and I catch myself reaching for the phone to call you. I have dreams that I'm holding you in my arms, only to wake up diappointed when you're not there. I know the trip made things harder to get over, but I wouldn't trade the week we had for anything. If there was a way I could convince you to be with me, for us to a couple, I would. I'm crazy about you Temperacne." he admitted to her.

"Booth, I..."

"Just think about it, please? No one would have to know if you don't want them to. We can do this, Bones. You just have to say the word and I'm all yours, and you'd be all mine. Think about it?"

"I... yeah, okay, I'll give it some thought." she nodded hesitantly. "What did you need me to do?"

"Thank you for that, for at least giving it some thought." he said with a smile before he answered her. "Seven years ago..."

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"So, you seeing each other?" Amy asked her as they drove to see the judge for the exhumation order.

"Who?" Brennan stalled.

"You and Booth."

"No." she said with a small laugh. She so desperately wanted to say yes, but they weren't seeing each other, at least not officially. And even if they were she couldn't say yes. "No, we're... we're working together."

"Cause, I'm picking up a bit of a sex vibe."

"Uh-ha." Brennan almost laughed. 'Guess we're not hiding it as well as we thought we were' she mused to herself. "No, that's tension. I, uh, I think he has a girlfriend." she couldn't help adding - she could call herself that if she wanted.

"Figures. I should have jumped him when I had the chance."

"You're really interested in Booth?" she asked, becoming more and more irritated by the lawyer.

"You aren't"

"No." she replied, almost sounding like she meant it.

"Well, then why are you helping him?"

"Because he asked me. He said please." - 'More than once, tonight, actually' she remembered his words. _'Just think about it, please?'_ She couldn't help but think about it.

Amy laughed out loud at Brennan's comment. "Come on. You think he's hot."

"No, not at all." - 'hot doesn't even begin to cover it.' - "This is a very interesting case."

"Booth did say you had some kind of mania about the truth."

"Mania? As in maniac?" - 'If so he's in so much trouble'.

"I'm not sure he meant it as a bad thing." Amy tried to explain. She continued when Brennan offered no reply. "Which is obviously how you're taking it."

He was going to get it the next time she saw him alone, she vowed to herself.

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"We've got the tire iron." one of the twelve agents at the marsh shouted into the night.

"Over here, there's something else here. Here," Booth said looking to Brennan, "I've got something... more than a tire iron. Is that what I think it is?" he pointed to the screen on the thermal imaging device.

"I need a shov..." Brennan tried to yell, but was cut off by Booths hand shushing her.

"I need a shovel, she's digging here." Booth yelled out.

"Ma'am." another agent handed her the shovel. "Agent Booth." one was offered to him but he waved it off.

"Well, are you gonna help?" she asked after almost a minute of digging, when she noticed him watching her and not offering any assistance.

"Well, I would but," he shruged his shoulders, hands in pockets, "this is a twelve hundred dollar suit."

"Are you kidding me." Brennan shouted as she stood up, one hand on her hip, the other holding up the shovel. "I haven't slept in forty-eight hours and you're worried about your suit."

"Fine." he mumbled removing his suit coat. "Can I get a shovel? Thanks." he handed off his coat to the agent who brought him the shovel.

"Dig gently, small layers at a time." she instructed him. "What would you usually be doing?"

"What?"

"If it were a normal weekend."

"You wanna discuss this now?"

"Compared to you with your multiple sex partners..."

"Excuse me. What the hell are you going on about. I'm not having sex with Amy. And I have never, ever, cheated on any woman that I've ever been with. Never! That includes you. Why are you having a problem believing me when I say that?"

"Because we aren't in a commited relationship. I have no reason to assume you're not seeing other women at the same time."

"You have reason to believe it because I wouldn't do that, Bones, I swear to god, I haven't been with another woman since the first time we kissed."

"Our first kiss was months ago." she said baffled, looking at him as she bent to the ground, using a small brush to remove dirt from the objest she had unearthed.

"I know, I've been trying to break down your walls since then. Believe me when I say I know how long it's been."

"Booth, we're going to have to finish our discussion later." she said as she picked up the skull she had uncovered. "I think right now this takes precedence over our relationship issues."

"What the hell's going on here." he asked as his digging also revealed skeletal remains.

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"Are you in trouble with your boss?" Brennan asked as they sat at Wong Fu's waiting for their food, nursing their drinks.

"You know," he said avoiding answering her question, "I'm sorry for wrecking your weekend for nothing."

"No, not for nothing."

"C'mon, you know what I mean. You know all that running around, it didn't change anything. Epps was guilty, he was always guilty."

"There was doubt, we had an obligation to respect that doubt."

"Yeah, I know. And I'm gonna stop you right there before you go on about it for ten minutes. No more shop talk, huh."

"Yeah okay. And I think it changed something."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah." she smiled but didn't elaborate, instead saying, "I don't like Amy."

"Really, you could have fooled me." he said sarcastically.

"She said she picked up a sex vibe between us. When I denied it she went off about how she should have jumped you when she had the chance. It made me angry, her talking about jumping you." she paused, noticing the happy smile Booth wore as he rested his head on his fist, listening to her talk. "And then she made me sit in the back of the suburban. I don't sit in the back, I sit up front, beside you. So no, I don't like her. But, I am glad I met her."

"Yeah? How so?"

"Because she made me realise I don't like... I hate," she changed her words, "the thought of you with anyone but me." she admitted to him. "It might not be the best reason why we should try to have a relationship, but... I'm jealous, I don't want you with anyone else." she shrugged.

"I think it's a good reason. And I know how you feel. I hate the thought of anyone - who isn't me - being with you. You're my Bones, my Temperance."

"And I guess that would make you my Booth, huh."

"I have been since the day in the shooting range." he replied. "If we're goning to do this, Bones, I need you to do something for me."

"Okay," she said reluctantly, "what do you want me to do?"

"I want you to believe me when I say I don't cheat, and that I will never cheat on you. Can you do that, can you believe me?"

She sighed deeply. "I trust you. So if you say you wont then I'll believe you. I do believe you, and I'm sorry about how I was acting earlier." she relaxed a bit. "I know I'm difficult, I'm sorry."

"You wouldn't be Bones if your weren't difficult."

"And it isn't cheating that worries me." she went on, ignoring his comment, "It's just, I have issue with letting people close to me. It feels like I'm setting myself up to get hurt whenever I do. People I let in, people I care about, leave."

"Not everybody leaves. You already said you trust me. So, trust me to not leave you. I wont disappoint you Temperance."

"I know you wont, you never have so far." she agreed with him, desperately wanting to kiss him. "So how are we gonna do this? We're partners, we're not allowed to be a couple."

"There are loopholes." he grinned. "But, I say we just keep doing what we've been doing. We wont be able to be overly affectionate in public, but at home we'll do whatever we want."

She sat quietly, thinking, before she spoke, "After we're done eating, can we maybe go home and 'do what we want' tonight?"

"Why don't we get everything to go?" he suggested jumping up from his barstool quickly, not waiting for an answer from her. "Hey Sid, we're gonna need all that boxed up to go." Booth said as he hurried to pull out cash to pay.

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R&R if you please :) And coming soon (pun intended) more smutyness... 


	5. Chapter Four : The Girl in the Fridge

Disclaimer stands, blah, blah, blah. Brennan is still OOC as this is a fiction. Some dialog from the episode "The Girl in the Fridge". Hope you enjoy.

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"Morning gorgeous." Booth woke her with a kiss. "We've gotta get up for work in..." he paused glancing at her alarm clock, "thirty minutes."

"So why did you wake me up early?" Brennan grumbled, rolling to face away from him, curling up to her pillow, striving to return to sleep.

"Because I want you." he replied plainly, his hands running up and down the naked expanse of her back.

"We just had sex..." she too paused to look at the clock, "five hours ago. I'm sleep deprived from being up most of the night. Let me go back to sleep."

"Please?" he nearly begged, his hand creeping over her hip, finding it's way between her thighs and stroking her clit in an effort to make her want him as much as he did her.

"Seeley." she repremanded him, squirming from the stimultion of his fingers.

"Temperance." he shot back, scooting closer behind her, moving his hand from her sex to her thigh, lifting her top leg to rest atop his, opening her up to him. "All you have to do is stay where you are and enjoy it."

She pushed back against him, signaling for him to continue, even though she was hardly awake.

"Good girl." he breathed into her ear as he positioned his shaft at her entrance and seated within her to the hilt.

Brennan gasped at the sudden invasion of her body, still only partially aware of what was going on. She lay still, her hand clasping his where it grasped her hip. The angle of penetration caused him to bump her g-spot with every forward thrust of his hips, urging a keening moan to escape from her.

"You feel so good..." he spoke softly, latching his mouth onto her neck just below her ear, biting and sucking the skin as his pace became more frantic. "... to good... I can't..." he added as he moved his hand from her hip, to rub maddening circles on her clit, her hand now squeezing his wrist as the walls of her pussy clinched at his cock. Another few thrust and her body seized in an overload of pleasure, as he pushed fully inside her and let himself go against the entrance to her womb.

She lay shaking in his arm, he with his head in the crook of her neck, both recovering from the force of their orgasms, until the alarm sounded, signaling them to start the day.

"Are you okay?" Booth asked after hitting the snooze button and curling his arms back around her.

She nodded her head, turning to meet his lips with hers. "Tell me it will always be like this."

"Every time is more amazing than the last. I'm sure it'll always be incredible." he kissed the mark his teeth had left on her neck. "I think you should wear your hair down today, otherwise Ange is gonna grill you over this." he informed her, petting the spot with the pads of his fingers.

"I've gotten rather good at covering them with make-up. Although, you could try harder to do that where no one would see, like I do."

"Sorry, it was within easy distance of my mouth." he apologised, not sounding genuinely sorry in the least. "C'mon, you get into the shower while I fix us some breakfast."

"You're not going to join me?" she asked as he pulled on a pair of sleep pants.

"Not today. I need to try and get to work on time at least once this week." he said, kissing her briefly before heading off to the kitchen.

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"Okay, now this is weird. There's some guy in the lounge who asked me to give you this." Hodgins said as he entered the room baring a red box with a blue bow.

"Is he alive, because this is an excellent start to a relationship." Angela asked Hodgins as Brennan took the box.

"Well, I didn't put a mirror under his nose or anything. He said you'd know who he was when you opened it." he spoke first to Angela, then to Brennan.

She lifted the lid from the box revealing a ceramic skull mug. 'Oh no, not Michael, not now.' she thought as she replaced the mug to it tissue paper cocoon, handing it off to Zach, and quickly heading for the lounge.

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"You left it at my place." Stires referred to the mug as he leaned on the rail overlooking the lab.

"Three years ago." she fired back.

"First time I've been in Washington, thought I'd return it in person."

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" - 'At least that way I could have warned Booth.'

"What if you didn't take my call, you're a big important author now."

"You could come down here you know." she suggested, tired of yelling up to him.

"You could come up."

"Halfway."

"As always."

"I hope you don't have any expectations." she continued as they met near the base of the stairs.

"Do you?"

"Civility."

"I can handle that."

"So why are you here?"

"George Washington University wants to talk to me about heading their anthropology department."

"They'd be lucky to get you."

"I assume they tried you first."

"I already had a job." she shrugged. "Seems like we should have dinner tonight, just to catch up." she made sure to add.

"Sounds reasonable." Stires replied.

Brennan, now barely paying attention to Stires, heard the voice of her boyfriend and turned to see him enter the lab.

"Hey Bones," he yelled for her, "whoa, whoa," he spoke to the agent helping him transport the fridge, "okay, put her down there, easy." he said banging on the rusted machine with the crowbar he held. "Bones, I got a present for ya. Straight out of an illegal ravine, out in a dump in Fairfax." he explained to her as she casually brushed past him, followed closely by Stires, someone Booth didn't recognise, or like. "See _our_ forensic people confirmed it to be human matter, so, rather than open it myself and to risk being trashed by you for contaminating the evidence, I decided to bring you the whole refrigerator, to you." he finished with a cheesy smile.

"All we need is a toaster oven." Hodgins joked to Zach.

Booth cleared his throat, "Bones." he gestured her over towards the fridge with a toss of his head.

"The body is going to be mostly decomposed." she examined the exterior of the old machine.

"Which is my cue to leave." Angela walked off.

"This is where it gets fun." Stires added.

"Alright you can open it." Brennan said stepping away.

"Alright." Booth said as he pried at the door with the crowbar. "Whoo, okay." he sounded disturbed as the door open to reveal a mostly skeletal body. "Uh, he or she..."

"She." Brennan peered closely at the remains.

"Late teens, early twenties." Stires pitched in.

"I'm guessing she's been in the refrigerator for a year. Is there enough insect activity to be more precise?"

"There's always enough insect activity." Hodgins told her as he swabbed the bones with a cotton tipped aplicator.

"Remove and clean the bones Zach. Michael, you can pick me up a seven-thirty," she said not noticing the thinly veiled look of anger that passed over Booth's face, "I'll give you my address." she stood up. "Booth, I need to speak to you in my office." she walked away, tugging him after her by his coat sleeve.

"Beautiful lab." Stires shouted after her as she led Booth away, leaving him with Hodgins and Zach.

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"Don't freak out." Brennan turned to Booth as soon as she closed her office door behind them.

"'Don't freak out.' Did you not just set up a date with that... that asshole. I think I can freak out if I damn well want to. What the hell is going on?"

"First off, it's not a date, and second, don't call him an asshole, you don't know anything about him."

"I know he taking _my_ girlfriend out to dinner."

"Nothing is going to happen. It's just dinner."

"'Nothing's going to happen.' But something did happen before didn't it? Who is he?"

"His name is Michale Stires, he was my professor at North-Western, and yes we were together."

Booth growled before he spoke, "Temperance, I don't want you going out with your ex-boyfriend."

"It'll seem strange if I cancel."

"Fine, why don't I call one of my ex's and we can double date." he threatened, trying to get her to understand.

"I've got a more rational idea. I'm going to go to dinner with Michael, but at, I don't know, eight-fifteen, eight-thirty, call me. I'll say I've got to go, my boyfriend just got home and wants to see me." she hypothesized as she stepped very close to him. "And then I'll catch a cab to your place and you can do whatever you want to me for upsetting you."

"Whatever I want, huh?"

"Absolutely."

"Fine, but I still don't like it. And he better not even think of touching you."

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Brennan knocked on Booth's apartment door, anxious to be with him after having to ward off Stires advances for nearly an hour.

"You got here quick." Booth greeted her, opening the door and pulling her close for a kiss. "How was dinner with Professor asshole?"

"A bad idea, he kept insinuating that we should skip eating and go straight to his hotel. You would have loved the look on his face after you called and I told him I had plans to meet up with my boyfriend." she told him, all the while removing one article of clothing after the other. "So, what do you have planned for us Agent Booth?" she asked him, slipping into her sexiest voice.

"Well, I thought I'd get you completely naked, which you seem to be doing a very good job at," he commented on her lack of attire, "and then I thought... we'd watch hockey, and you'll sit right beside me, naked, and I'll explain the game to you." he smiled evily, knowing this was the crulest form of payback he could find - making her cuddle with him on the couch and watch sports, when he knew she was in the mood for sex - if her little strip tease was any indication.

Booth, why do I have to be naked for that?" Brennan said exasperated, hands on her hips, clad only in her matching sensible nude colored bra and panties.

"Fine, not naked, you can wear these." he said flinging two scraps of lace at her, both berry in color, one a lace thong, the other a lace halter babydoll.

"What are these."

"Something I picked up for you while you got ready for your date."

"You've got to be kidding. This," she held up the skimpy nighty, "is ridiculous." her hands back on her hips.

"So is goning on a date with your ex." he argued back, arms crossing over his broad chest.

They stood at an impass, neither wanting to be the one to back down.

"Bones, you said I could do whatever I want."

"I was referring to sex."

"So, we'll get to sex after the game." he shrugged, thinking the whole thing made perfect sense.

"Fine." she huffed after a long standoff, realising she wasn't going to win this one, and headed off to the bedroom to change into the bits of lace.

She returned minutes later and stood between Booth and his TV, arms out to her sides. "So, are you not mad at me now that I'm wearing this blatently sexist outfit?"

"It's not sexist, or demeaning, it's sexy. Come sit with me." he leaned forward, tugging her by the wrist to join him on the couch. "Now the point of hockey is to..."

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"Well, the fridge we found Maggie in, eh, is a match for the marks we found on the Costello's floor." he said peering down into one of the boxes filled with sex toys.

"They're sado-masochistic fetishist."

"Yeah, they turned the basement into a fun room."

"Seeking sexual gratification through the manipulation of power." she went on to define the Costello's as she held up a spiked collar with a single gloved finger. "Probably the oldest of fetishes, master/slave, it's all about dominance." she concluded, dropping the collar.

"This sort of thing only comes up when the bloom goes off the rose, if you know what I mean."

"I don't know what you mean."

"You know, when the regular stuff, when it gets old, you need to spice it up, it's over. Sex is good, you don't need any help."

"That's for sure." she said giving him an appreciative look.

"I'm sorry." he worriedly glanced at the people nearby, hoping they didin't catch the meaning in her tone of voice as she looked at him.

"I was agreeing."

"Yeah, well don't, okay, it kinda freaks me out when you agree with me. We argue, it's what we do."

"I was just saying that I myself feel no incliation for either pain or dominance when it comes to sex."

"Are you sure." he asked with a wag of his brow.

"Yeah, I'm sure." she said picking up a crop from the evidence box that sat before her.

"'Cause you can be very bossy." he turned from her, picking up a pair of furry pink handcuffs with his pencil, ignoring Brennan when she swatted him on the arms with the crop.

Booth turned to address the Costello's, who were being led out by agents. "Look at him, huh," he whistled, "look at him all smiley, I bet he just loves these things." he waved the cuffs around.

"These could explain the stress fractures. Her bones were brittle from the disease, struggling would cause the cracks we saw." she explained, examining the pink cuffs closely after removing them from Booth.

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"Bones, the Costello's are trying to cop a plea to a charge that wont mean the death penalty. They know they're going down." Booth said as he ran to catch up with her, a pleased grin on his face.

"You had no right. There are things that are private." Brennan yelled at him, mad at his tactic to win the case - revealing her background to a courtroom full of people.

"I know Temperance, and I'm sorry." he said in a calming voice, trying to subdue her anger. "But I need you to listen to me. If the jury wasn't helped to see why... you're you, we would have lost the case, and they would have walked, the Costello's would have gotten away with murdering Maggie. I know you hate it when the bad guys win, I did what I thought was nessecary to make sure the Costello's paid for what they did to Maggie." he paused taking a deep steadying breath, "I am sorry Temperance, I'm sorry I had to hurt you to do it."

"I am so angry with you with you right now..."

"Bones, I don't know what..."

"Let me finish." she stopped him in a commanding tone. "I'm angry,... but, ... I understand why you did it."

"What can I do to get you to forgive me?"

"I don't know yet, but it's going to be something you hate." she threatened him as she walked away, clearly still very upset. "I don't want to see you right now. Just give me space, okay."

"Yeah, anything you want."

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"Guilty on all counts." Angela announced with a smile as she entered her best friends office.

"Yeah." Brennan replied unenthusiastically as she worked at her desk, barely glancing at her friend.

"So, he owes you another dinner, huh." Angela spoke of Stires.

"No, I wont be seeing him anymore." she picked up on the line of conversation.

"Sorry." Angela added.

"I was foolish to be so open with him. It was irrational." she went on, not knowing herself if she meant Stires or Booth. If she hadn't been so open in sharing their findings with Stires, the Costello's defense would have been weak, and Booth never would have had to forfeit the information about her past, hurting her in the process. She now recognised her fault in the situation. "You know how you get when you're tired." she shrugged.

"Yeah." Angela agreed, trying to understand. "You wanna go out, get a drink?"

"Uhm, I think I just wanna work." Brennan replied, knowing her work would distract her from thinking to hard on the mess things had become.

"Okay." was Angela's quiet reply as she left the office.

Only seconds later, Booth walked through her door.

"Hey Bones," he greeted her as he stopped in her doorway. "I know you said you wanted me to give you space, to back off for a bit, but," he hesitated, "I have something I need to tell you that I've been putting off."

"I need to tell you something too. I've been thinking and..."

Booth pleaded with her as he closed the door behind him, thinking she was ending things between them. "Bones, please don't do this."

"I want to do this. Please be quiet. I realise that what happened was my fault, at least in part. If I hadn't been so trusting of Michael, wanting to prove to him I was right, he wouldn't have been able to assist the Costello's lawyers, and I wouldn't have been scrutinised as a _cold_ scientist. And you would never have had any reason to suggest they question me about my past."

"Temperance, you're not cold. No one who knows you, who cares about you, thinks of you as anything but a deeply caring person. You know, Stires, the defense attourney, the jury, they can all go to hell, because _I know_ how wonderful you are." he confessed to her, wanting so badly to take her in his arms, but settled instead for taking her hand discreetly in his.

She nodded at him, accepting his words, to full of confusing emotions to be able to speak for several seconds.

"I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry, too. I should have thought things through more than I did."

He laughed softly. "Bones, you think things through enough, believe me."

She rewarded his attempt at lightening up the mood with a small smile. "What did you need to tell me?"

"Well, how about I show you instead, maybe that'll cut down on the yelling."

"Booth, what did you do?"

"It was done years ago, before I ever met you, okay. I know I should have told you before now, but, it's just... akward to bring up in conversation, akward to say, so... I'll show you. Get your stuff."

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"Booth if you brought me here to tell me you have a wife and kids, expect a lot of yelling." Brennan informed him as they pulled into the driveway of a small one story house near Alexandria, Virginia.

"Not exactly." he said, quickly exiting the SUV and running up to the front door of the house.

She saw him ring the bell, and the door open to reveal a pretty blond women. 'Of course, she's blond' she thought at the sight before her. Booth talked with the woman for nearly a minute before crouching down and opening his arms to catch a small child that lept into his embrace, before being wrapped in a tight hug. The woman handed Booth a colorful backpack once he was standing again, and pecked the boy a kiss on the cheek. Booth carried the child back to the car, chatting animatedly the whole way.

"Temperance," he said opening the back drivers side door and standing the young boy inside, "this is Parker, my son." he said holding his breath, waiting to see how she would react.

Brennan sat quietly for several seconds before waving to Parker, "Hi." she smiled at the cute little boy with the curly mop of hair and his daddy's chocolate eyes.

"Parker, this is Daddy's very good friend, Dr. Brennan."

"Temperance - you can call me that okay Parker."

"Tempwance." the boy smiled. "My Daddy said you'wa da most smawtest pewson he knows, an you wurk at da pwace wif da dinoswars." he finished excitedly.

"Hey bud, you climb up and talk to Temperance while I get your seat out of the back, okay."

"Uhuh." he quickly did climbed over the the seat and plopped into her lap. "Daddy said we get to have ice cweam on da way home." Parker continued as Booth secured the carseat. "Wha ice cweam do you wanna eat?"

"I don't know, you and your Daddy might have to help me pick out a favorite. Do you think you can help me do that?"

"Yea, the wocky woad is yummiest. It's chocwate wif mawsmewows an..."

"Okay bud, climb back here and get in your seat so we can get going." Booth interupted, reluctantly, enjoying the sweet conversation between his Bones and his son.

"Otay Daddy." he smiled, doing as he was told.

Booth straped his son into the seat before joining Brennan up front. After he started the car, she reached over and took his hand in her own, placing them in her lap, giving him a smile.

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"Did you get him in bed?" Brennan asked as Booth crept into his bedroom and shut the door so only a small crack was left open.

"Yeah, he was so wound up from all the sugar. Remind me next time we get him that ice cream before bed is not a good idea. He was very excited that you got to sleep over too." Booth laughed as he joined her under the covers, laying close enough to wrap an arm around her, as he lay on his side facing her. "He's never met any of my other girlfriends. I'm really careful who I introduce to him, I didn't want him to get used to being around someone, if I wasn't sure about them." he said, taking her hand in his, bringing it to his lips, placing a kiss on her knuckles.

"What does that mean?"

"It means... it means, you, are very important to me."

She smiled at him, happily, lifting his navy FBI shirt she wore over her head. "Do you think we can be quiet?" she asked tossing her makeshift sleep shirt to the floor.

"God, I hope so." he met her mouth in a hungry kiss, rolling his body atop hers.

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So, Parker's dialog is supposed to be read phonetically, sorry if it was confusing, I based it on the way my nephews talk. Please R&R. 


	6. Chapter Five : The Woman at the Airport

Okay, so I'm not doing a story for "The Man in the Fallout Shelter" because I figured, according to my storyline that Booth would have somehow talked Brennan into spending X-mas with him (and Parker). So he never would have brought the body to the lab over the holidays because they would have both already been off. So, anyway... rant over.

Thank you for all the wonderful reviews so far, please keep them coming. I love seeing how much people are liking the story, I find them very insipring. Again sorry for the delay, responsibilities needed attention for a bit. OOC Bren, dialog from "The Woman at the Airport", disclaimer, yadda yadda...

Oh and as far as them staying in the same hotel room, they tell whoever is in charge that it was a suite, or, whatever...

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"huff, I need a receptionist, I can't have just anybody waltzing in here." Brennan grumbled, trying to keep up appearances that she was annoyed at his presence, as she spotted Booth sitting in her desk chair, his feet propped on her desk.

"Take a look at this." he said handing over an arial view printout without moving from his spot behind her desk.

"A bunch of red circles?"

"Each circle reresents where a body part was found." he answered, knowing she was intrigued.

"Is this an airport?" she asked brows drawn in confussion.

"Los Angeles International. Local pathologist says the remains are in pretty bad shape."

"So he punted to the FBI."

"Airports fall under federal jurisdiction. Excellent use of the word 'punt' - see watching sports with me has been useful, you learned a new word you can intermingle with all your scientific jargon."

She ignored his sports comment and tossed the picture onto his lap. "I can't go to Los Angeles, I have an Iron Age warrior to authenticate." she said walking quickly from the office, knowing if she stayed he would pressure her into going.

"Iron Age warrior? When was the Iron Age?" he followed her, failing to see the importance of her task.

"Fifteen-hundered years ago." she informed him, still walking ahead of him, trying to get as far away from him as possible. He had a look - that of a sad little puppy - that he could use and make her melt instantly, doing whatever it was he asked of her. Hence her need to leave quickly.

"Fresh body bits, just a little bit more urgent."

"You do realise there are a lot more fresh bodies than there are perfect specimens from the Iron Age."

"You know, when you say things like that, it's just to bug me, right?" he screwed up his face in annoyance, still determined to get her to go with him to L.A.

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"This car doesn't feel very FBI-ey." she broke the silence as the drove down the sunny Los Angeles street.

"Hey, Bones, this is a 1966 Mustang, it's a classic. What goes better than that with the FBI?"

"How come on the rental agreement, under model, you made the guy write sedan?"

"Come on," he smiled as her, putting his arm around her, drawing her to lean against his side, "we're in California. Look, palm trees." he tried to steer the conversation from the topic of the car, or driving for that matter.

"You know, I'd like to drive sometime."

It wasn't working so far, "Look, our contact out her is Special Agent Tricia Finn." he said, continuing with his previous tactic, changing the subject.

"I'm an excellent driver." she persisited.

"Okay, 'Rain Man'."

"I don't know what that means."

"I'm always gonna drive, you know that, right? I'm the guy in this relationship, Temperance, you're the girl. Guys always drive."

"I don't see what gender has to do with deciding who drives."

"If you pay attention to the other cars on the road, how often do you think you'd see wives driving while their husbands ride in the passenger seat - I'll tell you, maybe one in twenty-five."

"Well, I'm not your wife, and you are not my husband." she shot back quickly.

"You know what I mean." he ground out.

"I'm not above telling Deputy Director Cullen what kind of car you rented. And I'll make you stay in your own room, so no sex while we're here."

"You're kidding, right? Temperance?"

She shook her head 'no' in answer.

Within minuted, she was happily sitting in the driver seat of the deep teal muscle car, cruising down the palm lined boulevard, while Booth sulked in the passenger seat.

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"Sweetie, I'm having a hard time with this skull." Angela spoke to Brennan via the satellite link.

"Did you try filling in the surgical scoring?" Brennan asked her friend as she lounged in one of the red-domed circular beds on the roof of the hotel, with Booth waiting inpatiently outside and out of view so as not to be seen by Angela.

"I can't be difinitive. All the usual indicators have been modified. I reconstructed three facial variations. She had her cheek bones shaved, her chin changed, her jaw reconstructed - that's just what she did to her bones. We don't have a clue what she did to the soft tissue - her nose, her brows, her cheeks."

"Just start with her basic architecture, we'll go from there."

"The basic architecture is what I can't find."

"You're gonna have to make a best estimate."

"Did you just tell me to guess?"

"No, I said make a best estimate based on your experience and expertise."

"Okay, well, dress it up however you want, but it's still a guess. Look my experience and expertise don't extend to this. A facial reconstruction might not be helpful in this case."

"Angela, I told you it'd be hard. Just do what you can." Brennan fussed.

"Okay, _Bren_, you're being a little edgy and tart with me, all I'm trying to do is tell you the truth."

"What this young woman did to herself," she shook her head at the thought, "it's as if she completely removed her own identity. Who hates herself so much that she not only changes her looks, but her core architecture. If we don't know who she is, then how will we be able to catch the person who murdered her?"

"Is that your way of apologising?"

"Yes, Angela."

"I accept. Love your guts, sweetie." Angela said before they signed off.

"It's about time you hung up." Booth said climbing back in beside her.

"I kind of fussed at Ange."

"I know, I heard." he said brushing her hair off her shoulders before peppering kisses all across the skin he exposed. "But you two made up, everything is fine." he added, sliding one of her tank straps down her arm, picking up where he left off before the call.

Brennan closed her laptop and rolled tto her back so she could look up into his face. "I just don't see why anyone would choose to so drastically alter their appearance."

"Temperance, not everyone is as pretty as you." he smiled down at her, moving his lips close to hers for a kiss. "He was right you know, Kostov, you do have beautiful bone structure - as well as everything else." he grinned at her.

"He was creepy."

"Yeah, he kinda was."

"And I like your face just the way it is also." she leaned up, initiating another kiss.

"Is that all I am to you, just a pretty face." he joked in a mock-hurt voice.

"Hmm, there are some other aspects of your anatomy I like just as well." she teased back.

"Oh yeah, care to point them out to me?"

"I definately will once we get in bed."

"I'm ready for bed, how 'bout you, it's been a long day..." he said, eager to get to their room.

"Not just yet. I like laying out here together, where people can see us, like it doesn't matter that we're partners and not supposed to be doing this."

"Are you admitting that you like snuggling and doing coupley things?" he asked astonished.

"Oh, shut up Booth." she mildly repremanded him, knowing he was making fun of her. "This is all your fault. Before you I was perfectly happy being the way I was. I would never have done this, never have done three-quarters of the things you've made me do."

He smiled as he said, "I'm gonna turn you into a girl yet, Bones." He kissed her again - a kiss that turned into another, then another, and another until nearly a quarter of an hour had passed before they realised it.

"I'm ready for bed now." she said between soft little kisses.

"Mmm, want you baby." he sucked her bottom lip, letting it go with a 'pop'.

"'Baby' is like 'Bones', huh? You really aren't ever going to stop calling me that are you?" she asked, pulling away from his persistent lips.

"Nah, uh-uh, don't think so." he pecked her lips briefly. "In fact you should just get used to being called all sorts of nicknames - baby, sweatheart, gorgeous, beautiful, kitten..."

"Kitten?" Brennan asked, brows raised in question.

"Yeah, my little sex kitten." he nipped her neck, his hand slipping under her camisole, squeezing her breast.

"Seeley, not out here. Come on, I told you I was ready for bed, let's go." she removed his hand from under her top, pushing him off her gently.

"It's kind of fun messing around out here though." Booth pouted as she gathered up her things and climbed out of the poolside bed.

"Well, I'm not an exhibitionist, Casanova, so come on, let's take this to our room."

"Casanova?" he laughed.

"If you get to use nicknames, so do I. I thought I'd try it out - do you like 'handsome' better than 'casanova'?" she grinned at him over her shoulder, walking towards the bank of elevators.

Booth quickly scrambled up off the covered bed and rushed after her.

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The hotel room door burst open, bouncing off the wall and back into the entwined couple trying hard to make it inside and to the bed. They didn't make it. He removed his hands from her body only long enough to shut the door, before they were back on her pinning her to the very same door.

"Need you." he tugged her layered tanks from her body, kissed his way down her naked torso, stopping to suckle at her nipples, before untying her drawstring pants, removing them and her panties in one swift motion. "Don't move." he commanded, placed a gentle kiss on her center, before standing up and back, quickly removing his own t-shirt, jeans, and boxers. He was back on her in an instant, holding her body to the door with his own, the evidence of his need for her trapped between their bodies.

"Can't we use the bed? We have a nice big bed to do this in." she asked, her voice trembling with desire, her body taut with arousal.

"I wanna take you up against the wall." he bit at her jaw.

"This is a door." she said confused as he reached down grasping both her thighs in his large hands, pulling them up around his waist.

"Same difference. You'll like this, trust me. Hook your legs behind me." he urged her, and she did so, quickly. Placing one hand under her bottom, he lifted her just enough to allow him to posistion his shaft at the entrance to her body with his other hand. "You ready for me?" he tested her readiness with his fingers. "Ooo, you're dripping baby. Excited, huh?" he smirked.

"Just shut up and do it already." she let her head roll back against the door.

He complied with her request, releasing his hold on her, letting her drop onto his erection.

"haaaa" she exhaled loudly at the feeling of being forced down on him by gravity. "Ooo, move Seeley,... go."

He kissed her agressivelyas he immediately took up a bruising pace, moving in and out, and back in and back out of her body, rapidly. The quick jerks of his hips into her body caused the door to rattle in it's frame, making a loud noise with each thrust - thrust that he continued for several long, tortourous minutes.

"Come on Temperance, _come_!" he tore his mouth from hers as he began teasing her clit with his thumb, holding her up with his body. "You've gotta... come... I'm gonna... gahhh." he groaned, his muscles tensing as he rushed towards his climax, determined that she would come first. "...soon..."

"Just a... few,,, more... unghhh!" she shouted as her tight sheath convulsed and clinched around his cock as she found release.

At the feeling of her fluttering around him, he finally allowed himself to release, to let go of his load deep in her body.

"Oh, uhn, god." he gasped for air. "Put your legs down, I can't... don't wanna drop you..." he unwrapped her shaking thighs from around his middle, slipped out from her body, and slammed back heavily into the wall by the door.

"That was intense." she panted, as she leaned to rest on the door. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, god, I just... I wanted you so bad, and I... " he trailed off looking at her sideways, his growing feelings for her clearly plasted all over his face. "I didn't hurt you or anything, did I?"

"Don't be silly. As often as we have sex... you are not going to hurt me." she pushed herself from the door to stand in front of him. She brushed her fingers through his dark hair as she studied his expressive eyes, where she saw powerful feeling that she knew she wasn't yet ready for. She kissed him before speaking, "Let's rinse off in the shower and then get in bed, alright. We've got an early morning appointment." she kissed him again.

He nodded, stepping away from the wall to follow her, not daring to speak for fear of confessing his deep feelings for her. Feelings he knew would frighten her away if he told her to soon, causing her to draw back from him and their budding relationship. He wisely kept his mouth shut as she took him by the hand and led him to the bathroom for a quick shower.

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"Do you have a card Miss Bardu?" Booth asked using his charm smile, as they wrapped up the interview with the madame. He didn't see Brennan's eyes nearly bug out of her head at his words.

"We provide a law enforcement discount." she told him as she passed him her business card.

"Ah." he said, glancing at her number as she got up to leave.

"Miss Bardu, do you have any idea what Rachel looked like before her plastic surgery?" Brennan asked before the woman could leave.

"Which time?" was the cryptic reply as she walked away.

Once Bardu was gone, Brennan turned sharply towards Booth, arms crossed defensively over her chest, an unreadable expression on her face.

"You better have a very convincing arguement as to why you requested that card."

"Aw, no threesomes, Bones?" he teased, quickly realising she was not amused. "It's one of the only leads we've got, okay." he replied honestly. "It's just me and you remember." he soothed her with a calming tone of voice, reminding her of his promise to be faithful and trust that he would never cheat on her. "We might need more information, that's the only reason I got the card. Besides," he smiled, "you're almost more than I can handle." he again tried to lighten the mood, this time winning a smile from Brennan.

"Speaking of handling, I've got bruises on my..."

"Whoa, Bones, not the place." he stopped her.

"But they make it very uncomfortable to sit." she continued trying to explain.

"I'll kiss it all better later, promise. Let's go see what else we can dig up, 'kay." he said flirtatiously.

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"Excuse me, that's my cell phone." she protested as Booth flipped the phone into his hand, all the while Zach kept spouting off tidbits of information at them over the satellite link.

Booth dialed, waiting for the other end to pick up, not looking at the glare Brennan wore on her face. "Hey, Miss Bardu, Hi, it's Special Agent Booth. I reconsidered your offer, I was wondering if I could have one of your ladies visit me today." he spoke into the phone.

"You're ordering a prostitute from my cell phone?" Brennan asked angrily.

"Wondering, eh, if Rachel ever took part in one of those two in one specials." he ignored his girlfriends question.

"Hey, the old two on one special, classic." Hodgins piped up over the link.

"What's a classic?" Zach asked confused.

"That's great, just send me whoever she worked with the most." Booth ended the conversation with Bardu.

"You're ordering a hooker to my hotel."

"Did I hear you say hooker?" Zach - still confused - tried asking.

"Hey, how come I never get to go on these out of town trips?" Hodgins whined, irritating Brennan enough that she shut down the satellite link, knowing Hodgins and Zach couldn't hear her and Booth's forthcoming conversation without possibly picking up on their relationship.

"It's our hotel. And 'cause you have much looser daily allowences than I do."

"Well, have fun." she said snippily. "And don't make any noise when you come into the room, I don't need to be woken up. I have to get up early tomorrow and meet with the producer." she turned away, going to gather her things.

"Temperance, I'll be done in a few hours and back with you before you even think about going to bed. It's all just for work."

"I know, but that doesn't mean I have to like the fact that your meeting with a prostitute."

"I know. I'll make sure to tell her right away about my amazing girlfriend." he tried appeasing her.

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Brennan watched closely from across the rooftop of the hotel as Booth feigned interest in the high class hooker, growing more anxious at each touch, each smile, each laugh her boyfriend bestowed upon the other woman.

'Boyfriend' she thought with a laugh. The word wasn't at all appropriate for the man she was in a relationship with. Theirs was an adult relationship, the terms boy and girl didn't belong anywhere in the equation. There were other words, one in particular, that came to mind when she tried to define what Seeley Booth was to her - lover. The term popped in her head nearly every time she caught sight of him, thought of him. And it nearly scared her to death when it did. 'Lover' implied that love was involved, and while she knew they had feelings for each other - strong feelings - words of love had not yet been spoken, nor was she ready for them to be. Though sometimes, she swore that their love for each other was clearly visable on their faces, especially as they stared into each others eyes after being intimate. But love was an enormous step, one she was to scared to take to soon, even if she was fairly certain that was what she felt when she looked at Booth.

Her attention turned back to the scene before her, and she watched as Booth took Leslie's hand in his, removing the fake red nail from her pinkie finger. He motioned for the other agents to come and take her away. Leslie leaned forward, speaking into his ear, he gave her a brief nod before she was led away.

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Booth glanced quickly at Brennan from his spot across the roof from her,he knew she had been watching, he wanted to get to her. Knowing how he would feel if he had to watch her flirt with another man, he wanted to get next to her and reiterate his feelings, for her and only her.

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"What did she ask you?"

"What?"

"She asked you something, after she was arrested. What was it?"

"She asked me... if I thought she was beautiful."

Brennan nodded, closing her eyes, dropping her chin to her chest.

"Hey, Bones," he said softly, tilting her face up to meet his, "Temperance, _you_ are _my_ beautiful girl." he stated firmly, but with a soft tone.

She laughed just as softly, "Girl, boy, girlfriend, boyfrined - I was just thinking, those terms don't really apply to us, do they."

He smiled, kissing her quickly, not overly concerned with who saw. "We don't need words to define us, Bones. We are each others." he shrugged, explaining it simply.

"It's scary."

"Yeah, it is." he took her hands in his larger ones. "But it's worth it."

"Yeah, I think so too." she said quietly, stepping into his chest, his arms circling her in an instant.

"I'm falling for you, Temperance," he laughed at himself, "already fallen, actually." he spoke, nuzzling the side of her face. "I wont say it yet, we're not ready, you're not ready yet. But... soon, I'm gonna have to say it."

"I know, me too... soon... just not to soon, but,... I'll be ready."

They smiled at each other, still holding one another close, letting the importance of their almost confessions of love sink in, as they enjoyed their last night in L.A.

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Sorry it took me so long to post, it's been written for a while I just had to type it up. R&R please, make me a happy girl. Luv ya all :)


	7. Chapter Six : The Woman in the Car

Hey all, this one's okay, maybe not my fav chapter I've written, but it'll do. I do not own Bones, or any of the characters, nor am I making any profit off this what so ever. The dialog you recognize is to be credited to the shows writer, I just added bits and pieces when it fit for the theme of the story. So please no one sue me. Brennan is, and will remain, OOC for the rest of this fic, but that's just what happens when you're in a relationship with someone, they can influence how you act in certain situations just by their being around you. As with previous installments, omit any and all parts of the actual episodes that do not mesh with the story (like the scene in the SUV where they talk about her never wanting kids, you'll see why once you read on down). I hope you all enjoy, please R&R. Thanks so much for all the reviews so far, they make me very, very, happy (and creative), please keep them coming. Without further ado, "The Woman in the Car"...

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"I'm Stacey Goodyear, and joining me on 'Wake Up D.C.' is Dr. Temperance Brennan. She's the author of the best selling mystery novel 'Bred in the Bone' and she's also, now tell me is I get this wrong, an anthropologist who works with the FBI to solve crimes." the cheery early morning hostess introduced Brennan.

Brennan, unaware that the woman's words took the form of a question, offered no reply at first. After a prolonged silence, she spoke, "Well, yes, that's correct. I use the bones of people who have been murdered, or burned, or blown up, or eaten by animals, or insects, of just decomposed." she stumbled along.

"Well, that's exciting." the hostess commented, not really sure what to say. "Uhm, Dr. Brennan, your book has sold over three hundred thousand copies. How do you juggle twin careers - as a best selling author and crime fighting scientist?"

"Well, I do one, then the other."

The woman struggled for a moment over what else to ask, for fear of what answer she would recieve. "And is the work enjoyable? I mean the part involving rotten bodies..."

"Enjoyable? Satisfying, yes, like cracking a code. But in general when you're looking at someone who's been brutally murdered, it's... complicated."

The woman laughed, uncomfortably, "'Cause I just thought, you know, yughhh!" she laughed some more, akwardly, before she continued, "Doesn't leave you much time for a personal life, does it?" she asked, as appropriately enough, Booth snuck into the room, sitting out of view of the cameras.

Brennan smiled quickly at Booth before she answered, "It's true, I'm more focused on my career right now." was the reply given, properly masking her relationship with her partner, whom she kept glancing at.

Booth, in the meantime, kept smiling at her in an exagerated manner, trying to get her to smile for the camera.

She tried doing as he suggested, but her smile looked forced, unnatural. She gave up.

"Most of our viewers, " the morning show personality went on, "are parents home with their preschool aged children. What will you tell your kids about all the horrors you see every day?"

"Uhm, well,... for a long time I was not sure I wanted to have children of my own, my childhood was not... ideal, so I've never really..." she stopped, glancing at her smiling partner before she started over. "I guess if, or when, I decide to have children,... I hope that my significant other, the, uh, father, will be able to help tell our kids why bad things happen. I don't," she shrugged, "I don't really know what to say..."

"O-kay... Do you have any advise for budding authors out there?"

"Well, the first thing they should have is an idea, and then... well, first you need something to write with, ... eh, you know that." she shook her head at herself as Booth looked on horrified at how poorly the interview was going, "Well, obviously you need a writing instrument and you need an idea," Booth was now rubbing his forehead, "I'm just not sure which should come first."

"The book is 'Bred in the Bone' by Dr. Temperance Brennan. Next up after the break, wicker - the new leather. But is it safe for your children?" she spoke directly into the camera, fake smile plastered on her face. As soon as the camera stopped filming, her smile faded and she shot Brennan a disgusted look, getting up quickly and leaving.

"How was I?" Brennan asked Booth.

"We'll talk about it on the way." he nodded, trying to formulate an answer that wouldn't hurt her feelings.

"On the way where?"

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"How close are you to ID-ing the burn victim?" Booth asked meeting up with Brennan in the lab.

"Well, I may be jumping the gun, but..."

"That's music to my ears."

"Well, considering this forty-eight hour thing, we should be looking at eastern european immigrants going back, say, ten years."

"I can get that information for you. Is Angela doing a facial reconstruction?"

"Yes."

"I could kiss you Bones, good work. You know, if this works, I'm gonna buy you a puppy."

"That would be inadvisable." she laughed at his antics. "You never told me how I was this morning." she said following him to Angela's office.

"In bed - great!, as usual." he replied with a sexy smirk on his lips.

"No, the interview. I asked you 'how did I do', and you said 'we'll talk about it in the car', but we didn't."

"Was it your first TV interview?"

"Yes."

"It was fine, you know, for your first interview." he tried being vague, sparing her feelings.

"Well that was a qualified response."

"What, no, it... it was lively."

"Lively? What kind of word is that?"

"It's an adjective. Though, ironically, most words that end in 'LY' are adverbs, like - 'ironically'."

"Well,... okay, what'd I do wrong?"

"Look, Bones, maybe next time you're gonna be interviewed you could ask for the list of questions they plan on asking, you know, in advance, and we can, uh, look over 'em together. That way we can come up with some really great answers, and you won't be put on the spot and, uh, say... things that don't make any sense." he suggested. "Although, I did notice, and appreciate, your comment about having kids." his voice dropped to a whisper.

"I said 'if, or when'. That's not a definate." she said feeling unsure with the present conversation.

"I know, but it has changed, for the better I think, from 'no kids, never, not ever', as was your previous stance on the topic."

"What can I say, you have a cute little boy. Sometimes I think maybe you need more." she said with a sigh, adding, "Just don't get your hopes up yet, okay. I'm reconsidering, is all."

"Good, I can be happy with that, for now."

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"Where have you been?" Brennan, struggling with her lab coat, trying to pull it on unsucessfully, asked Booth as they approached each other.

"I'm a field agent, I was out in the field. What did you find out?" he answered her, sounding annoyed.

"There was a piece of an ear in the victims mouth, looks like she bit it off. The ear could tell us something. Have you found anything?"

"A lot. No reason for the attitude."

"Wa... I beg your pardon?"

"It's not like you've been doing all the work and I've just been kicking back."

"O-kay, what did you find out?"

"The victim and her husband were having marital problems. She found motel receipts. I got the security tapes from the motel parking lot. I thought Angela could use her fat recognition program on it."

"Mass, mass recognition program."

"Whatever, maybe we'll be able to find out who Decker was seeing behind his wife's back. Is Angela in her office?" he spoke in a very clipped tone, before turning to try and walk away.

"Wait a minute." Brennan grabbed his arm. "Why are we fighting?"

"We're not fighting, bickering."

"Fine, bickering, why?"

"I... I don't know. You were all short with me when I walked up..."

"Well, you hadn't answered any of my calls."

"Yeah, okay. Look, I guess I'm just... on edge with this case, okay Bones. There is a scared little boy out there, just a few years older than Parker, and I..."

"I know this case is hard on you because of Parker. But we are going to do everything we can to find him. Now, I'm sorry I was short with you, but..." she hesitated.

"But what?" he asked with a sigh.

"I'm trying my best, we all are, don't be angry with me."

"I... I'm sorry, I just... I really want him to be okay."

"I know you do. So do I. So does everyone. We can do this. We will do this."

He nodded his head solemnly, "Come with me to Ange's office?"

"Yes. Just don't be snippy with me."

He grinned, "Yes ma'am."

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The Suburban sped down the city street, siren blaring, as Booth spoke into the police radio, "Blue car four with accessory proceeding to 44 and third fourteen L street, KBC Systems requesting local cowboys for backup, possible 1031." he finished, hanging the mic back up.

"Did you just refer to me as an accessory?" Brennan questioned, trying to make sense of what Booth had said.

"You asked me what I would do if I were Decker. They kill my wife, they take my little boy, I go to the source of the problem, I take 'em out."

"Take 'em out, like..." she wanted him to elaborate.

Booth replied with a chilling look.

"Oh." she paused, thinking it over. "But that's not..."

"What, not rational? Hell no! Look if someone, god forbid, tried to hurt you or Parker, Id... they'd never make it to trial, that's for damn sure."

She smiled, understanding his meaning. "I think you just insinuated that I'm like your wife. That's the second time you've likened us to a married couple."

"Look, sorry. Can you just... not freak out about it right now, huh?"

"Sure, I'll try not to." she laughed at him. "Anyway, I was just making an observation."

"Fine, observe all you like, we'll just... talk about it later if you want, okay?"

"Uhm, yeah, later's fine, we'll talk later." she said, not really upset, but amused at his continual slip-ups in that regard.

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"FBI, Seward in his office?" Booth presented his badge to the KBC security night guard.

"Yes sir."

"Secure the building, nobody in or out." he told the guard before turning to his partner, "Usually I enjoy your company, Bones, but it's times like these you give me just a little someting extra to worry about. Could you not, for once, have stayed in the car, where I know you're safe, so I don't have to worry about you getting hurt."

"So I could sit restlessly and worry about whether or not you're okay, I don't think so. We are a team, partners, we stay together." Brennan replied as they made their way further into KBC, searching for Decker.

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"An eight year old boy, yes that's consistent with what I'm looking at." Brennan said as she examined the magnified severed finger of Donovan Decker on the computer screen. "You should really send this to an FBI pathologist."

"They'd give me fingerprints and DNA, we already know who the finger belongs to, alright. I,... I need more." he paced anxiously behind her chair.

"Like what?"

"What,... uh, you gave me a south african mechanic from a chunck of burnt ear, do it again, do it better, do it fast." at the look on her face he asked, "What? Start, c'mon, do what you do."

"You're kind of worked up."

"What you see are a bunch of facts, but what I see is a terrified little boy with his finger cut off. Now, is he even still alive?" he asked her, his tone severely strained.

"Seeley, calm down, I'll find out everything I can from the finger, but I need you to calm down. You're going to cause yourself to have an aneurysm. Don't do that to me, okay. Blood saturation levels," she went on in a calm voice, "in the surrounding tissues are high. His heart was still beating when they removed his finger."

"Okay,... he's alive, that's something." Booth took a deep steadying breath.

"Who does this? Cuts the finger off an eight year old boy?"

"Mercenaries, professionals - they don't feel a thing." he said, speaking from past experience, when he was in the service.

"You know, I feel things, Booth." she responded, knowing that he sometimes viewed her clinical response to horrific things as coldness, when in actuality, it was just a mechanism she used to keep from going insane when the job became to much, to hard to handle.

"I never said you didn't, Bones."

"I'm a professional, too. I do better work if I only see the finger and not the child. That doesn't make me like them, or mean that I don't care, that I don't have feelings about all the awful things we see."

"I know that, Bones, I know you care, have feelings, how could I not. But I also know they made a big mistake sending us that finger."

"Why, because it made you mad?"

"No, because you're gonna use it to catch them, because you're brilliant and amazing at your job. So gather up your squint squad, let's get to work." he explained before he added, "You know I care about you, I'm not angry at you I just..."

"I care about you too." she cut him off before he tried to needlessly explain why he was on edge. "Why don't you go call Parker. It'll make you feel better. I'll go get Hodgins and Zach to help me find out all we can about the finger."

"Yeah, alright." he nodded, thinking her idea to call Parker was a good one.

"And tell Parker that I said 'hi' and that I can't wait to see him again." she added, more for Booth's benefit than anything, knowing how he felt about having her and Parker care for each other, as he did them.

Booth smiled at her effort to connect with his son, knowing she did so out of her feelings for him, as well as Parker.

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"Define your relationship with Special Agent Seeley Booth." Pickering asked of Brennan as she began the interview.

"Booth is my partner. And we're friends." she thought that was detailed enough, no one was aware of their romantic involvement, so her answer should suffice.

"That's the extent of your relationship?" Pickering question, looking sceptical.

"Yes." Brennan responded, remaining calm.

"So, you deny that you are currently involved in a romantic and sexual relationship with your partner, Special Agent Booth?"

'Oh shit' Brennan thought before she spoke, "Excuse me?" 'If all else fails', she thought, ' stall until you can come up with a reply'.

"Have you or have you not been having a romantic relationship, involving sexual initmacy, with your FBI partner, for the past several months now?"

"I,... uh, I don't see what this could possibly have to do with a security review. I am not even going to bother responding to your inquiry."

"Do you not see how this is a security matter. Let's say one of the two of you were put in a dangerous situation and threatened, do you not think the other would forfeit vital information, risking national security, to whomever was behind the scheme, in order to save their lover?"

"No!" Brennan replied adamantly, even though she wasn't positive she was speaking the truth. "I don't. Now, do you have any other questions to ask, not pertaining to my partner?"

Pickering scribbled notes furiously on her legal pad, irritating Brennan in the process, before she looked up and proceed with the interview, "Can you tell me what you were doing in Cuba?"

"Only if you tell me first." Brennan said, cryptically.

"I beg your pardon?"

"I don't know your security clearance."

"Well, what's your security clearance?"

"You should check with the State Department."

"I'm from the State Department."

"Then, that should be easy for you."

Pickering floundered for a moment before she continued, "When you were in Cuba, did you meet with a man named, Juan Guzman?"

Brennan, her face blank, stared at Pickering for a moment before holding up a single finger, telling her to wait, as she picked up her phone and dialed. "Hello, it's Dr. Brennan, from the Jeffersonian. You told me to call you if anyone asked about... you know,... him." she paused as the person on the other end of the line spoke. "Someone from the State Department named," she leaned forward to read the nametag, "Samantha Pickering." she answered, paused and listened some more. She then proceeded to hand the phone over to Pickering.

"Pickering." she greeted, annoyed. Her expression changed quickly to one of shock as she listened to what she was being told. "Yes sir. Yes, I'll wait, I'll wait here." she stuttered over her words, stunned, handing the phone back to Brennan who hung it back in the cradle.

"Anymore questions?" Brennan asked, sitting back in her chair, trying her very best not to crack a smile or laugh at the woman in front of her, who now sat looking frightened instead of smug.

"No... uh, no, in fact the entire review is suspended. I'm to wait here until someone comes to destroy my notes." she commented absentmindedly.

"What a pity." Brennan said, voice dripping with sarcasm, as she allowed herself to smile. "It would be terrible for some of the information you gathered to get out." she commented as Booth stepped into the office.

"We might have the kid." he informed his partner.

Brennan jumped up, grabbing her coat, not sparing Pickering another glace as she hurried out the door after Booth.

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"Polina didn't make any calls from her cell phone after she was kidnapped, but nobody turned it off. When she left the coverage area, the cell phone was automatically asigned a new routing tower."

"You could triangulate her posistion?"

"Yeah, to within seventy-five square miles. There were six abandoned gas stations within that area, five urban, one rural. SWAT's gonna check them all out, but I think it's the rural one we want."

"Why?"

"Because I used to do this kind of work." he said slowly.

"Rescuing people?"

"Or, being... the person they needed to be rescued from." he answered her, rolling his stiff neck, hating that he had to tell her about his past sins.

"Oh." she said, at first not sure how to respond.

"If I had a choice, I picked out an isolated rural area. This place is perfect, it's an abandoned truck repair depot. SWAT will meet us there."

Not welcoming the quiet, Brennan asked, "Why don't we ever take my car?" knowing it was a stupid question, but was the best she could come up with, and she was unwilling to let an akward silence fall in the car. Unwilling to let his telling her a little about his past, be followed by a silence that might communicate to him that she was upset about what he had disclosed.

"Do you have bullet proof vest in the trunk?" he answered her question with a question.

"No." she replied, even though she knew his question was rhetorical.

"That's why."

Brennan, still wanting to ease the tension in the car, reached over and, in a very girlfriend-like gesture, pulled his right hand from the steering wheel, lacing her fingers between his, saying as she did so, "You're not like them either, Booth - the mercenaries. What you did before... that's not who you are now. I know it has an effect on you, it probably always will, but you did what was asked of you at the time, what you had to do." she stopped, holding his hand with both of hers. "Just like my past has an effect on me... but, I'm not going to let it rule my life anymore, not like it used to. I'm not gonna let the scared little girl I was - the girl that pushed people away before they could leave, hurt her - I'm not gonna let that have a bearing on me anymore. And you shouldn't either."

"Shouldn't let you be scared and push me away?" he asked with a smirk. "Don't worry, Bones, I won't let you get rid of me."

"That's not what I meant, and you know it." she sighed, and tried to start again. "We have to move beyond the bad things in our past to be able to be happy in our present. It's not going to be easy, for either of us, in fact, I'm positive it will be hard and we're both going to mess things up from time to time, I'm sure of it. But we'll be okay, we'll do it." she stated firmly, then in an unsure voice added, "Won't we?"

"Yes sweatheart, we will be fine. We're both to stubborn to not fight for what we want." he laughed quietly.

She raised his hand to her lips, placing a tender kiss on it, "Do you have any idea how much you've changed my life? You force me to be happy, not to be distant, not like I was. Thank you for making me give us a try."

"Temperance," he imitated her gesture, kissing her hand as a substitute for her lips that he couldn't reach, "thank you, for finally doing something I suggested." he added to tease her.

Brennan smiled at his words.

Seconds ticked by, but now the silence was not filled with tension, but with a warm feeling of contentment. Their hands still entwined, they drove on towards their destination.

"Oh, you know how we were being interviewed by the State Department in order to be allowed to continue working on classified cases?"

"Mm-hmm."

"The one assigned to do the review, Pickering, she asked me about the nature of our relationship, if we were involved romantically."

Booth's head whipped to the side to face her, "Wha... how the hell did she know?"

"I'm not certain. I tried denying that we were involved, that what she said was not the case, but she didn't believe me. She just kept rephrasing her question. I finally told her I was not going to answer any questions pertaining to you or our supposed relationship."

"So did she... what just back down? What happened?"

"She made some notations on her paper, I assume about what I had said, possibly about me being uncooperative. Then she asked me a question about something I was told never to discuss."

"Got some skeletons in your closet, Bones?" he asked with a smirk.

"I don't know..."

"Secrets, it means secrets." he explained before she even finished speaking.

"Uhm,... yeah. So, I called... someone I was told to call in the event that anyone ever did question me about... you know." she stopped herself. "Someone was on the way to the lab to destroy all her notes, including the remarks about us, when you got there. That's what we were discussing when you came into my office."

"So,... we shouldn't be expecting things between to become public knowledge, right?"

"Not until we're ready."

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"Do you think KBC hired the mercenaries?" Brennan asked Booth after they left Donovan with his father and the paramedics.

"Well, we'll let the grand jury figure that out. We did our job."

"It's not often I get to help someone before they die." she observed.

"Aw, hell, Bones. Every time you catch a murderer, you save his next victim." he told her as they walked back to his SUV.

"Hmm, this is different."

"Yeah." he agreed with her statement.

"I want you to come to my place tonight."

"I don't know, Bones. Maybe I should just go home and get some sleep, try to forget all of this."

"No, I'm not taking no for an answer. I've been pretty passive so far when it comes to letting you call the shots on our intimacy. Tonight, I'm in charge and you are coming to my apartment. I'm not going to let you go home and brood because we had an emotionally trying case. You wouldn't let me get away with that, and I'm certainly not going to let you, either. We are spending the night at my place where I am going to make sure you relax, unwind."

"Okay, alright, your place it is. Geez, I knew you'd end up being bossy, but..." he rambled as he opened the passenger side door for her to climb in.

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Brennan led him into her apartment by the hand, dropping her bag on the couch, as she walked striaght to her bedroom.

"Get out of your suit. I'll be back in just a minute." she said placing a sweet kiss on his mouth, before stepping into the en-suite bathroom and shutting the door behind her.

Booth stood still at the foot of her bed, rubbing his tired hands over his face and the back of his neck. He was exhausted, emotionally and physically. He was in no way ready for sex, not in the state he was in. He was fairly certain that this was going to be the most embarrassing night of sex he had experienced since his first time, when he was sixteen. He wished he could talk her out of whatever sexcapades she had in mind for the evening, but she had already told him she was calling all the shots tonight. So, humiliation, it seemed, was inevitable and imminent. He wondered if it was okay to pray to god to help him 'get it up' just to make his girlfriend happy. 'Is that sacreligious?' he pondered as he began removing his suit, laying it out so it would not be overly wrinkled tomorrow.

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Once Brennan shut the the door, she turned on the taps to the large jaccuzi tub, testing the temperature, making sure to get it just right. When she was satisfied with the temperature, she stopped the the pug, and turned to her bathroom cabinet. Opening the cabinet door, she dug around for the stress relieving bath salts that she loved. She found the Pear-Linden salts and poured a palm full, sprinkling it over the filling tub, then running her hand through the hot water, making sure the salts were spread around and melting. She stepped back from the tub and began stripping off her clothes from the day, tossing them into the hamper, and pulled on her plush ivory knee-length robe, tying the sash into a knot. The tub had filled and she shut off the taps before turning to open the door.

Booth sat, completely nude, on the end of the bed, his head resting in his hands. "Oh, hey, you ready?" he asked, trying to perk up when Brennan opened the door.

She laughed at the effort he was putting into acting like he was ready to 'go all night'. "Your bath is ready." she told him from her posistion leaning on the doorframe.

"My... bath? Uh, baby,... Temperance, guys _do not take baths_."

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. Come on, I told you I won't take no for an answer. Get in here."

"Yeah, I know you said that, but I thought you wanted..."

"To help you relax. Let me do that." she held out her hand for him to take, beckoning him to her.

Booth stood up, taking her hand and joining her in the bathroom. "Aw, Bones, you put girly stuff in the water." he whined when he smelled the scent wafting up from the water.

"They're bath salts, and we women like them because they work, helping in a number of ways depending on the composition and scent. This is to help you unwind. I use it all the time after a stressful day. Get in the tub."

He did as she told him to, settling down into the hot water, as Brennan lit several tea candles all around the bathroom, before shutting off the light and pulling over a small stool, sitting beside the tub.

"Are you hungry? I've got some left over Thai food in the fridge I can heat up."

"No, I'm not hungry. Are you not joining me in the tub?" he asked, already starting to feel the soothing effects of the bath.

"I thought you would relax more without me being naked in the water with you."

"I always find you being naked very good for me in general." he responded with a leer.

"One part of you never stays relaxed very long whenever I get naked." she flirted running her hands over the wet expanse of his chest.

"Come on, Bones, please?" he gave her his pleading puppy dog look, knowing she'd give in if he persisted.

Brennan acquiesced to his plea, removing her robe. "Fine, scoot up."

"Scoot up?" he asked coonfused, although he was enjoying watching her de-robe.

"I'm going to sit behind you." she informed him, doing just as she said she would, stepping into the tub and slipping down to rest behind him. She leaned back on the porcelain, her legs wrapping around his body, laying atop his own legs. "Lean back." she urged when he still remained upright.

"I'll crush you."

"How often, exactly, is it that you are on top of me? Have you ever crushed me yet? No - you won't crush me. Lean back on me." Booth did as she asked, settling back into her embrace. Her breast now pressing firmly against his back, she wrapped one arm around his upper body, as her opposite hand began running through his hair. "Feel good?" she asked as he moaned.

"Mm-hmm. You're right, this bath stuff is relaxing." he said his voice calm, subdued, sleepy.

"You should listen to me more often, huh?" she asked, her hands still roaming over his body, relaxing him further and further.

"Don't count on it, Bones." he laughed.

She smiled against the side of his face, kissing him on the temple, elicitng a deep sigh from Booth.

"You're amazing, beautiful, thank you for this."

"You're pretty amazing yourself, handsome." she replied as her hands and the bath eased away all the stress from his body.

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Whoo-hoo, that's the longest one yet. At first I wasn't sure about this one, but now there are some parts I really love. I hope you all love it too. Let me know if you do. I'll update soon. Hugs and kisses :) 


	8. Chapter Seven : Superhero in the Alley

Hi (ducks head frightened) sorry for the delay with the updates. I had a hard time writing this episode. I hope you all enjoy. I own nothing, and make no money off of this, it is purely for entertainment purposes. Bren is OOC, smut is slight, dialog from the show is to be credited to the shows writers. Again, I love, love, love all the reviews - I'm so glad you all like the story so far. Please keep them coming (R&R, pretty please).

Here you go, "The Superhero in the Alley"...

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Brennan woke early, several minutes before her alarm was set to go off, she was excited to get into work this morning. She had been asked to contribute stress marker analysis to an international project, a 9,600 year old cocaziod female skeleton, and was to start working on it this morning. She stretched her arms above her head, waking her body the rest of the way. Feeling a weight across her abdomen, she glanced down seeing Booth's arm draped possessively over her body. She looked at his face, still completely relaxed in sleep, and smiled at the sight of him, his hair all mussed and sticking up in every direction. Her plan was to get out of the bed and into the shower without waking him, knowing that if he woke up she would never make it to woke early, in fact, she would probably be quite late. She rolled her body off the bed, effectively removing herself from under his arm. Looking at Booth, assuring herself he was still fast asleep, she slipped quicky into the bathroom, making sure to close the door silently. She stripped off her nightgown and stepped into the shower, turning on the water full blast.

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Booth stired, missing the heat of his girls body even in sleep. Eyes still shut, he ran his hand over the expanse of bed she normally occupied, finding it still warm. She had only been gone from beside him for a few minutes.

"Baby?" he murmured, pushing his upper body away from the pillow, opening his bleary eyes and peering around the bedroom. Noticing the bathroom door was shut and hearing the shower running, he turned around to sit on the bed, rubbing his fist into his eyes. Standing from the bed, he pushed his boxers down his hips before making his way into the bathroom. Quietly shutting the door behind him, he moved to the shower, pushing the curtain out of his way, frightening Brennan in the process.

"Aaaahh!" she screamed at his intrusion.

"Geez, Bones, are you trying to ruin my hearing?" he teased, rubbing his ear as he stepped into the shower with her.

"You startled me." she took a calming breath, her hand placed over her heart, trying to calm it's frantic beating.

"Who did you expect was in the bathroom with you." he asked, water pouring down over both their heads, as he drew her body into his arms.

"No one, I was just...taken by surprise." she draped her arms around his neck.

"You woke up with out me." he said kissing her upturned lips.

"I have to be to work early, I have that international project to look at today. I knew if I woke you up I'd be late."

"I can be quick." he slid his hands down her sides, over her hips to rest on her bottom.

"I'm not sure that's an enticing statement." she laughed.

"I'll make it up to you tonight." he smirked at her flirtatiously before his mouth fused onto hers, backing her into the tile wall. Moving his left hand down from her bottom down to the back of her thigh, he pulled her right leg up to hook around his hip. "I'll get us some oysters, a nice bottle of Sauvignon Blanc..." he whispered sexily into her ear as he used his right hand to posistion his shaft at the opening of her sex, pressing his way inside of her core. "... and then, I'm gonna make you come all night, until you're not sure you can come anymore." he added, his hips thrusting sharply forward and backwards.

"Oh god... Seeley." she panted, her hands moving to desperately clutch at his broad shoulders, her nails biting into his flesh. "...unghh... harder..." she gasped, her hips pistoning into his.

Their mouths met again, slanting agaist each other, tounges slipping past teeth to explore. Removing her hands from his shoulders, she wrapped her arms around them instead. The fingers of his left hand still held her thigh to his side, as his right hand moved to where their bodies were joined, rubbing and pinching her clit. Their hips kept moving together in perfect rhythm, driving each other closer and closer to orgasm.

"I'm ready... mmh... you...?"

Brennan nodded her head distractedly as her movement faltered, her hips falling out of sync with Booth's, as her lips sought his again. She kissed him, desperate for the taste of him, until her body shook with an overload of pleasure.

"Oh christ, Temperance..." he spoke into her open mouth as moved within her grasping channel a handful of times before he came inside her body.

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"Baby, have you seen my black dress shoes?" Booth asked as he searched through his apartment fully dressed, except for his shoes.

"Uhm... were they the ones you wore on Friday?"

"Yeah, why? Do you know where I put them?"

"Friday we stayed at my place, you probably left them."

"Shit! I don't have time to run over there."

"Don't you have another pair?" she asked as she finished putting on her jewelry.

"Not any that go with this suit and I don't have time to change." he grumbled. "Fuck it, I'll wear these." he said pulling out a pair of black and white sneakers. "This going back and forth thing is a pain in the ass."

"I know, I forgot my shampoo, I had to use yours. My hair will be flat all day."

"There is a way to fix the problem you know."

"My hair?" sha asked gathering her things and moving to the front door.

"The apartment problem." he finished tying his shoes and stood up to step near her.

She hesitated, tilting her head, thinking things over, before she gave her reply, "Not yet. I've got to go."

He nodded, expecting her to answer that way, "Okay." he leaned down to give her a goodbye kiss before she steeped out the door, leaving for work.

He grabbed his overcoat out of the closet, sliding it on when his cell phone rang. Picking the phone up off the counter, he checked th ID - Cullen.

"Morning sir... no I hadn't seen... yes sir, I'll be right there, I'm leaving now."

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"Warren Granger, age seventeen." Booth informed her as she looked over the case file in her hands.

"Seventeen," she said sounding baffled, "small for his age."

"Yeah well, he was home schooled. GED obtained last summer. His mother and step-father reported him missing from this very block two months ago." he paused glancing at her, while she was still absorbed in reading over the file. "Hey listen, Bones, I mean you know if you wanna sit this part out, hey, I know you've got some ancient chinese bones waiting."

"No, I'm on this now. Are you wanting to ditch me?"

"What? No, I just... thought you might need to get to work on your big important project."

"You never usually care about interfering with my other projects, why is it different this time?"

"I don't know, I ju... why don't you wanna talk about getting a place together?" he asked revealing what he was really thinking about.

"Booth, I just think it's a really big step and that we shouldn't rush it."

"Bones, we're already together most of the time anyway, nights included."

"It's still different. Right now we still have our seperate places to go back to, you know, in case your irritated with me or I'm irritated with you, we have somewhere to get away to. Plus, when Ange comes over, if she sees your things at my apartment, or if I move into your apartment, don't you think she might figure out what's going on."

"I... uh... yeah alright, fine, I see your point. I just... I don't like sleeping without you..." he said, almost to quietly for her to hear. "And I hate it when I don't have my stuff."

"I don't know, I kind of like you wearing those shoes with your expensive suit. I think you look cute."

"_I_ _am not cute_, Bones. Rugged, manly, handsome, hot, sexy... not _cute_." he said very seriously.

"Well, _I am not a baby_, but that doesn't stop you from calling me that, does it."

Booth laughed at her quick comeback, "Fair enough, Bones, fair enough."

They rode in amicable silence the rest of the way to Warren Granger's house, only speaking as they pulled up.

"This is it."

"Looks like every other house in the neighborhood."

"Every family has it's secrets, Bones." Booth said, pulling the SUV to a stop in the driveway of the two storey white house.

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"He has quite the collection of comic books." Booth commented as they looked around Warren's bedroom.

"Hodgins said the cellulose mass was a graphic novel. He sent it to Angela for analysis and recovery." Brennan informed him of their findings while she examined the boys desk.

"Sweet!" he exclaimed, still looking through the stacks of comics.

"Sweet?"

"This is Batman #127, featuring the Hammer of the Thor. This is worth about three-hundred bucks." he explained excitedly.

"Booth are you a nerd?" she asked with an amused grin spreading across her lips.

"Huh, first of all, you mean geek. And no I'm not, okay. It's quite normal for an american male to read comic books."

"I find it hard to believe you have anything in common with Warren Granger."

"Wha, you mean isolated with an inner secret life, no, 'kay. I'd say you were more like Warren."

"Meaning what?" she asked, sounding annoyed.

"It's just, you close people out. Try to keep things to yourself. I didn't mean anything bad by it, but your not an easy person to get close to."

"You somehow managed to do it."

"That, Bones, is because I am very charming. You couldn't resist me." he gave her his charm smile.

"Actually, if I recall correctly, it was you who couldn't resist me. You were the one practically begging me for sex in Aurora." she shot back, earning no reply from Booth, as her pager buzzed in her pocket. "Zach discovered some significant hairline peri fractures on the right and left ulni." she read to him from the pager screen. "That's his arms." she explained.

"I know ulna means forearms," he replied, "I pay attention. I also know peri fracture means that the kid fought back, Bones." he finished, his voice strained with irritation at her thinking he was completely clueless when it came to her side of the job.

"Very good, Booth." her lips turned upwards. "Maybe I'll reward you later for paying attention to us squints when we talk."

"I deserve a reward for having to listen to the group of you talk like aliens all the time." he mumbled under his breath, still going over the room carefully.

"Small stature, a geek," she went on ignoring his reply, "and he fought back."

"And he also got thrown from a roof."

Brennan touched the mouse on the desk, switching on the computer screen. She checked the list of the programs before she spoke, "There's nothing but games on here. There's no journal, there's no documents, nothing personal. What did he do at his desk? There's a light, the rug's worn, he used this area for something. What was it?" she wondered as she took a seat in the desk chair.

Booth came up behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders and gently kneading the muscles there, giving into his need to touch her. "Probably where he read his comic books."

She opened one of the side drawers on the desk, finding a sheet of yellow legal paper, and pulled it out. Grabbing a pencil from the desktop, she did a rubbing on the paper, revealing words. "I think Warren sat here and wrote longhand, with a ballpoint pen."

"That's pretty retro for a geek." Booth reached into the same drawer the paper had come from. "Hmm, well at least we know where he got the idea for a costume." he tossed a comic onto the desk. "Citizen Fourteen."

"A superhero."

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"I don't like to judge an entire subculture, but, those people gave me the creeps."

"That's because they are creepy." Booth replied as he steered the vehical down te street. "Well, what I mean is those kids at the store aren't your good ol' tutor you in math geeks."

"I sometimes tutored other kids in math." she stated a pointless fact.

He glanced at her before he continued, "They were the, uh, you know, set the school on fire geeks. Dark nerds, Columbine nerds."

"Columbine? You think Yasutani the Terrible is actually capable of murder?"

"I think they get high, you know. You know, they play these games. They loose their grip on reality and, you know, they start to believe they are these characters."

"You mean like Warren, out fighting crime?"

"You know, maybe, hey, Warren and that guy, the leader,... Yasuhama... something..."

"Yasutani the Terrible."

"Yeah, Yasutani the Terrible. Maybe him and that guy, they got into this, uh, you know, magic fight and it became real."

"So you're saying it wasn't Warren who was murdered, it was his character, Citizen Fourteen."

"They're so delusional, they don't even know they've commited a crime."

"When we get to lab, I'll get Hodgins to see if there's signs of drug use in Warren's hair. I guess no oysters, white wine, and sex tonight, huh?" she sighed, knowing they had hours to go before bed.

"Sorry beautiful, I'll make it up to you."

Brennan sat quietly for a moment, then spoke, "Do you think you can meet me in the storage room?" she asked, a hopeful expression replacing her solemn one from before.

"I think that can be arranged. Besides, didn't you say earlier that I deserved a reward for understanding squint-speak." he asked with a lecherous look.

"I think I recall something about that." she smiled back at him.

"And I know just what I want."

"I bet I could wager a guess."

"You wouldn't be wrong."

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"I wasn't sure you were gonna show up. I was starting to feel kind of stupid standing in here by myself." Booth said, hands immediately mapping Brennan's body once she was within touching distance.

"Sorry, I was talking with Zach. I couldn't get away." she replied, not seeming nearly as excited about a quickie as he was.

"Bones, what's up? Did you change your mind, we don't have to do this. I thought you wanted to."

"I do, it's just..." she looked away from him.

"'Just' what?"

She hesitated a moment before asking, "Do you want Angela?"

"What? No, Temperance." he said adamantly. "What are you..."

"I know she wants to have sex with you, you know it, you both were talking about it. And she's beautiful, and exotic..."

"Stop!" he grabbed her by the shoulders. "Look at me. We were just joking around, that's all. She's not my type."

"Neither am I. I'm not blond..."

"Okay, first, just because Parker's mother is blond doesn't mean blonds are my type. Second, I am definately not _your_ type - I am not some stuck-up asshole with too much higher education under my belt."

"I don't have a type, they were just who I was around."

"Sure, fine, whatever. Point is, I didn't have a type, not 'til you. You're it for me, Bones. You are my type, and you don't ever have to worry about me being drawn away by someone who's my type because they don't exist. There's no one else like you. You're a one of a kind. You're priceless, precious. And I lo..." he was abruptly cut off by her lips smashing into his.

Brennan kissed him deeply for a moment before breaking the kiss, speaking softly against his open mouth. "Don't say it yet. Please? I don't know that I'm ready. I feel it Seeley,... I do, but... I can't say it, yet. I'm scared to say it." she murmured frantically before taking his lips again, her body shaking slightly due to her nerves.

"Shhh, baby, calm down. I won't say it yet. It's okay." he drew her trembling body into his arms as she tucked her face into his dress shirt. "It's okay, I'm not gonna say it." he kissed the crown of her head. "You gotta calm down, okay."

She nodded her head against his chest. "I'm okay." she pulled back from him a little, her eyes meeting his.

"Good." he framed her face with his hands, kissing her chastely on her upturned lips. "Anyway, I can't tell you that here, I'd never live it down. Our kids would be telling our grandkids how much grandpa screwed up the first time he told grandma... you know." he joked about his almost profession in the storage room.

"Kids? Greandkids?" she said worrying her bottom lip with her teeth.

"Yeah, because one day, Temperance, I'm gonna talk you into having a baby. And we'll have a beautiful baby boy, and he'll grow up and marry someone and they'll have babies..."

"A son, huh? You've already decided our hypothetical future child is a male."

"Yeah. Mostly because I can't think of having a daughter and having to worry about some guy doing to her what I do to you every night. It's to preserve my future sanity, 'kay."

She laughed at him, starting to relax a little more. "You said kids?"

"Yeah, well, I just figure, why stop at one. We have so much fun trying to make them and all." he wagged his eyebrows suggestively.

"Speaking of... can we wait until we go home. I thought I wanted to do this, but..."

"I'll take you home in a little while and we can practice making babies there." he kissed her before they went to exit the little room.

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"You smell that?" Booth asked, proudly standing in his bowling shirt, hands grasping his bowling bag.

"Yes, I do." she said, scrunching up her nose in mild disgust.

"You know what that is, Bones?"

"Wax, popcorn, feet, deoderant..."

"That is america, Bones." he replied.

"You keep your bowling ball in the car?" she asked him with a smile.

"Well, you know, I figure we ask a few questions about Warren Granger, maybe bowl a few frames... you know, nothing like a little sport to, uh, take the edge off, huh."

"This is not a sport."

"How do you figure?"

"There's no physical benefit, so it's really like golf. It's not a sport, it's an activity."

"You know, Bones, could you maybe, just for once, try not to piss everyone off around you." he huffed, turning and walking off.

"Seeley, stop. I'm sorry." she chased after him. "Are you good at this... sport?"

"Ah, well, my average is over two hundred, less than two opens per game. One match I had two hundred eleven strikes, out of four hundred thirty-one shots. Twenty-nine opens, thirty-nine games." he said, pretending to bowl with his red and white bowling case.

"What does that mean?"

"It means I won some bowling awards."

"Very impressive. Did you know I won the Marshall A. Sixon award for my paper on Giorgio Romanus and physiological selection."

"Wow, Bones, it's like we lead parallel lives." he said mocking her.

"I told you I don't like you being snippy with me. Before you said that I was going to ask you to teach me how to bowl, but if you're going to act like that..."

"I was just kidding, honest."

"Yeah, sure." she said approaching the counter.

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Brennan sat very still, mouth open wide, as she breathed heavily on the object in front of her. She was so intent on her task, she barely noticed when Booth entered the room.

He whistled to get her attention, "What're ya doin'" he asked as she continued her breathing.

Her eyes rose to look at him briefly, before her attention turned back to the project before her. "Breathng on the sample dissapates static electricity and makes it easier to cut."

"Aw, I just thought you were trying to turn me on. Seeing you like that, lips open... kinda reminds me of something else you do with your lush mouth, something you're really good at." he said, the sexual meaning in his words not masked at all.

She shot him a coy look, being blatantly flirtatious with him, "Not right now, this is a very touchy process."

"You seem nervous?"

"If I get this right, from the bone slide, I'll be able to tell you the age, sex, and race of Warren Granger's killer." she explained before leaning forward and resuming breathing on the sample.

Booth sat to the side of her, watching her closely, groaning as he did so. "Want you Temperance." he leaned up and whispered huskily into her ear.

"I know you do, I can tell." she whispered back, nodding towards his lap and his obvious errection. "But, I'm busy, so we can't right now. Tell me what you found out."

"Stew was the artist." he said sitting back a little, voice strained from his effort to restrain himself from taking her right there in the lab.

"Really? You think he killed Warren over artistic differences?"

"He also had a thing for Abby."

"Wow."

"Yeah. For a recluse, Warren Granger, had his thumb in a lot of pies."

She sat quietly for several long seconds before she went on, "You said before that Warren reminded you of me. You think I'm just like him, that he hid from life by immersing himself in the fantasy world where he fought crime. And I do the same thing, only I don't have superpowers, I... I have science."

"No, Bones, you do fight crime. It's not a fantasy. As far as any normal person is concerned, myself included, you do have superpowers."

"You're just saying that to me because you want to get laid." she said quietly as she began thinly slicing the bone slide.

"No, l don't do that."

"Yes, you do. You lied to Warren Granger's mother to make her feel better. That seems to be your superpower."

"I don't lie to you Temperance." he stated firmly, leaving no room for arguement. "Look, this piece of bone you're analysing, how did it get lodged in Warren Granger's neck?"

"It was deposited by the same weapon that severed his spinal cord."

"Doesn't make it the killer's bone."

Brennan thought that over carefully before she spoke, "You're thinking a... seperate murder victim."

"Opalescence the, uh, the woman he loved."

"I don't think she'd dead."

"Why?"

"This is an arm bone. Has anyone we've seen on this case been favoring her arm?"

"Not that I've noticed."

"That's because you're not an anthropologist with superpowers."

"That's good." Booth said, voice full of laughter as he smiled at Brennan. "That's my girl." he stood quickly, planting a fast kiss on her grinning lips.

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"Dr. Brennan, based on your histology and the DNA, the bone chip found in Warren Granger's neck came from a caucasian male, mid-thirties." Zach said approaching the partners.

"McGruder, oh what, can you get more specific?"

"We need the weapon."

"Well, you know, I can get a warrant and search the McGruder's house for whatever you want."

"That's the trouble. We don't know exactly what we're looking for."

"We hit a dead end trying to reverse engineer it from the mark on the neck. Too much damage and fragmentation."

"Wait, you said that in books you coulod find the real world version."

"Yeah, well, I mean, if you know you it's pretty obvious." he said, a smirk on his face.

"Well, give me an example."

"Okay, well, in your book your partner is a former olympic boxer who graduated from Harvard and spoke six different languages. In real life you got me, ha." he said, charm smile in place.

"So, what you're saying is that reality falls far, far short of the fictional."

"Yeah, thanks a lot Bones." he said obviously angered by her reply.

"Booth, wait." she chased after him, leaving Zach confused by their antics. Would you slow down, I just want to talk to you." she raced and caught up to him, grabbing him by the arm. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bruise your ego." she said as she started to drag him after her, into an area of the lab he never remembered seeing. "But you did kind of set yourself up for that." she drew him into an empty room.

"Well you didn't have to slam me so hard, Bones, geez."

"I know, sorry. Let me make it up to you." she said latching the lock on the wooden door.

"Oh yeah, how?"

"How do you think?" she asked stepping closer to his body, her hands going to work on his belt buckle.

"Where are we? We aren't going to be interupted, right?"

"It's a conference room, no one ever uses it." she told him as she began nipping at his jawline. "So I thought we could." she continued, her fingers undoing the zipper on his dress pants and slipping inside, wrapping her fist around his length.

"Oh god!" Booth groaned at the fell of her hand on him, "Please..."

"I'm sorry I hurt your feelings, I don't want anyone for my partner but you." she kissed him sweetly on the lips, before she sank to her knees in front of him. "You might want to hold onto the table." she suggested before her tongue shot out of her mouth to taste him.

"Oh fuck! Temperance!" he shouted as she took him between her lips. His fingers of one hand grasping the edge of the large table for support, while his other hand fisted into her auburn tresses, as she worked him with her mouth.

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"So what do you tink she's going to do now that her husband's going to jail for murder?" Brennan asked of Lucy McGruder as they sat in Booth's office together finishing up the paperwork for the case.

"Don't know. I imagine she's gonna try and put her life back together. It's gonna be hard for her at first, getting over everything that's happened. But I think eventually she'll be okay."

"I hope so. She deserves better than she had with her husband."

"Yeah, she does. Here you need to sign this last one." he handed her his pen and a piece of paper.

"There you go." she handed them after signing. "All done?"

"Yeah, all done. So, dinner, Wong Fu's?"

"No not tonight. Tonight I want to do something different."

"Different, huh. Was what we did in the conference room considered different?"

"Just the fact that it was at work, you know that. No, tonight I want you to take me bowling." her request was rewarded with a beaming smiel from Booth.

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"Alright, Bones, so the point of this is to knock down as many pins as you can with two rolls of the ball."

"I do know the general point of the game. I just can't seem to ever knock down more than a few pins."

He smiled, placing his hands on her hips as he stepped behind her. "It's simple enough, just try to roll the ball as hard and as straight as you can."

"That's it, huh?" she glanced at him over her shoulder as she picked up her lime-green, ten pound ball from the rack. "Hard and straight." she nodded with conviction, stepping towards the lane, bending as she approached the line, and tossing the ball with as much force as she could muster. She stepped back, into his body, as they watch to see her bowling ball knock down all but three of the pins. "I did it." she smiled happily, turning in his arms to face him.

"Good job, baby." he smiled back at her, his hands settling on her lower back, as he kissed her on the lips, his mouth devouring hers. "Ready to try and pick up a spare?" he said, seperating his lips from hers.

"I am ready for anything, Seeley."

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Wow, Booth really says 'you know' a lot. Oh well.

Again, please R&R. I already have a good chunk of the next episode written, I'll try my very best to get it posted sooner rather than later. Luv ya all. Toodles :)


	9. Chapter Eight : The Woman in the Garden

Oh my goodness, I am so, so, so sorry to have taken so long to get this posted. Things have been insane, and then I had a hard time getting some of this down on paper (and word file), and then once I did went all wonky again and I couldn't post it. Please R&R, I hope you all enjoy, and thanks so much for all the reviews so far. Luv, Nessa : )

Some dialog from the episode "The Woman in the Garden" and is to be credited to the shows writers. I own nothing, this is only for fun.

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"He got away?" Brennan asked as she slowly approached Booth in the alley where he had chased the fugitive.

"Yeah, he got away. He's missing one shoe, " he said holding up the white sneaker as he paced the alleyway in annoyance, "but he got away." He took a deep breath as he neared her, dropped the shoe and began running his hands over her body, checking for any injuries she might have sustained durring the drive-by. "Are you okay? You're not hurt anywhere are you?" his voice tinged with panic.

"No, I'm fine, are you?" she replied quickly as her eyes searched over his body for any signs of blood.

"I'm alright." he wrapped one arm around her, hugging her close, kissing her on the forehead. "Temperance, you could have been shot."

"So could you. Unfortunately it's part of the job. We're both okay." she reassured him. "Come on, let's go make sure they don't mess with my bones."

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"FBI, make your presence known." Booth shouted as he entered the apartment of Jose Vargas, his gun grasped in his hand as he and Brennan began to search through the empty rooms.

"Look, he has a family, a baby." Brennan informed him, holding up a framed photograph for him to see. "Is anybody here?" she called out. "You don't have to be afraid." she repeated herself again in spanish.

"Of course they're gonna be afraid, Bones, I have a gun." he said as he reached up to grab the baby bottle from on top of the television set.

"Milagro de la Paz, it's where the victims are from." Brennan told him, holding up another picture, one of the village she recognized.

"They had to have been here a few minutes age, the bottle's still warm." he said holding it out for her to see.

"They're still here."

"How do you know?"

"They're prepared for this kind of thing. Hiding from death squads people learn to build false walls." she said making her way further into the apartment, into the small bedroom, then towards the small closet off to the left.

"Closet, okay, hold on, Bones. Let's just pretend that I'm the cop for a second, okay, just..." he held his hand up, motioning for her to stay behind him where she would be modestly safe, "please, try to stay out of sight, just until it's safe." he implored of her. Once he was sure she was at least a little out of the line of fire he began knocking lightly on the closet walls until one made a hollow sound. Looking back over his shoulder, insuring that Brennan was at least partially concealed from whomever was behind the wall, he turned back to the false wall. He pulled the section down quickly and aimed his gun at the inhabitants - a frightened woman clutching desperately to a small baby boy. Booth, still holding his gun in hand but no longer aiming it at the terrified mother, motionedd for her to come out of the secret enclosure.

The woman reluctantly tokes a seat on the bed before she spokes to the two strangers in her home.

Brennan replied to the woman in her native tongue, as Booth stood nearby, watching them interact.

"What'd you say?" he asked when she finished.

"That we just want to talk to Jose, that they'll all be safe, that they have nothing to worry about."

"Do you want to ba deported?" he said, voice raised, as he neared the woman, trying to intimidate her with his tone of voice. "Do you want to see your baby again? Because if he was born here, he doesn't have to go back with you, we can keep him."

"Booth! Stop, she's frightened enough." Brennan lightly scolded him for his uncaring tactic.

"Bones, we have a double murder on our hands." he said trying to make her see his side of the situation.

"But, she didn't do it." she argued back.

"Just tell her what I said, okay. Tell her we're calling immigration, tell her we'll get to Jose."

"No! She's lived with terror and intimidation her whole life. I'm not going to add to it. I refuse to do that to her Seeley, don't ask me to." she said with finality.

"Temperance, you're acting like I'm going to hurt her or something."

"It will hurt her if I do what you want me to."

"I'm just trying to get a little information."

"Fine, you talk to her. Can you speak spanish?" she asked smugly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"No, I need you to do that for me. I need you to tell her what I said." he said, striving to keep his voice even, to stay calm.

"I am asking you Seeley, as a favor, not to make do this, to scare her, please? What if... what is she were me, what if I were in her position? Jose loves her, cares about her, like you care for me. Would you want someone ever doing to me what you're asking me to do to her?" she asked as she stared into his dark eyes, hoping she could get her point through to him.

He sighed heavily, shaking his head, "No, I couldn't stand that. Okay, point taken, will figure out something else." he said, looking at her with a tender smile.

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Brennan knocked lightly on the door as she stepped into her partners office. "Anything?" she asked of the progress on the case as he looked over his shoulder at her.

"Ah, immigration has the wife. She's got a lawyer from the Salvadorian league of, I don't know, something or other. She's not giving us anything about Jose." he told her as he sipped his coffee from his Steelers mug.

"Are you mad at me?" she asked, stepping closer to his desk.

"Nope, I could never stay mad at you. And you were right, if she were you..." he trailed off, not even wanting to think of her in danger. "But, you know, I could have gotten something back there if you hadn't gotten all mushy on me."

"I was uncomfortable... you always say I'm not a cop... you're right. Especially in a situation like that. I don't do well with the good cop/bad cop routine." she went on. "Besides, my being mushy in entirely your fault, you realize. I was never mushy before you."

Booth laughed, knowing what she said was true, "Yeah, yeah, I know. It's all worked out fine, we aren't gonna need her anyway."

"Really, why?"

"Ah, cause I had the gang unit put a lead on Roberto Ortez, he's the head of Mara Muerte." he told her as he played with a blue stress ball, tossing it back and forth between her hands.

"The gang that Jose belongs to?"

"Yeah, I convinced Ortez to bring Jose in for questioning."

"Why would he do that? Why would he help us, aren't we kind of an the opposite side of the law?"

"Ortez's sister is in the can on possession charges. I promised him I can make that go away."

"Can you?"

"I don't know. It's a local beef, I'm federal, but hey, I'm a cop, and thank god for bad sisters, huh." he smiled at her tossing the stress ball at her.

She caught it, a smile lighting up her face, "Well, let's hope it works out like you want it to. So," she placed her hands on his desk and leaned close to him, "think you have time for a quick lunch?"

"Are we talking food, or... you know..." he asked, leaning closer to her, wagging his eyebrows at her suggestively.

"Well, we have sandwich stuff at my apartment, so we could eat and... see what else we have time for." she said, hinting at something other than lunch.

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"mmm... wait, uhm... we need to..." Brennan spoke to between kisses as Booth pressed her body into the kitchen counter.

"uhn... I know... mmhhh... 'kay, I'm stopping." he pulled away from her reluctantly.

"Just until we're finished with lunch." she told him as she went to the fridge and began pulling out lunch meats and cheeses. Grabbing a plate she piled the food on it as Booth followed after, grabbing the condements.

"You're so beautiful, Temperance." he said, tucking a wayward strand of her hair behind her ear as he stopped to watch her.

She smiled at him, handing him the plate, "Go sit down, Casanova."

Booth grumbled but did as she said, taking a seat at her kitchen table, before he resumed watching her as she got out four slices of the whole wheat bread she loved, before she joined him at the table. They made their sandwiches quickly and ate them almost as fast, their conversation limited due to their hurried eating.

"Do you want something else," she spoke when they had finished eating, "I've got fruit, and I think there's some ice cream left from when we had Parker last time."

"Just you, Bones, I just want you." he said pushing his chair back and going to stand up.

"Don't." she pushed her own chair back before she moved to stradle his lap. "We have to be quick." she began moving her hips into his.

"The pants might be a problem then, huh." he said pushing one of her shirts off her shoulders.

"I think you might be right." she stood up, unbuttoning her slacks and pushing them, along with her panties, off her hips and stepping out of them.

He watched her strip, undoing his belt buckle and pants, lifting his hips off the chair and slipping them down. "Want you." he reached up, grabbing her hand and tugging her onto his lap again. "Lift up." he urged her, letting his cock settle at the entrance of her sex so that when she let herself back down he slid fully inside of her. His hands went to her work peeling her tank top down so he could gain access to her breast, as she raised and lowered herself on him. "You're perfect, everything about you." he palmed her breast before he latched his mouth onto one of her pebbled nipples, his fingers teasing the other.

Brennan moaned at his attentions, draping her arms over his shoulders as her hips undulated against his, picking up her speed as the pleasure she was feeling built toward a cresendo. "nnnnnaa..." she moaned out, loosing her rhythm, "help me move..." she asked him, taking his hands in her own, moving them to her curvy hips, wanting him to aid her movements.

Booth, more than happy to keep her moving up and down on his shaft, stared up at her beautiful face, loving the look of extasy on her face. Her eyes were closed tightly as she chewed on her bottom lip, getting lost in the feeling of him inside of her. Wanting to add to the blissed out look on her face, he again bent his, sucking her nipple between his lips again.

Feeling his mouth on her breast, she opened her eyes, looking down at him as she burried her fingers in his short brown hair, leaning down to kiss the crown of his head.

HIs brown eyes darted up to meet her gaze as he pulled away from her chest. Their eyes locked, the emotions and feelings each held for the other shining through visably.

"Seeley..." she whispered before taking his lips lovingly.

His response was enthusiastic - he moved one hand from her hip to tangle in her hair, tilting her head and mouth to the side, sliding his tongue into her mouth in to play with hers. Their mouth continued mating, even as their bodies did, until he felt her tensing above him. He pulled back from her, allowing her head to arch backwards as her orgasm slowly crept up and rolled over her body. He allowed himself the pleasure of watching her climax, even as he continued thrusting up into her, guiding her hips with his hands. He managed to hold off his own release, enjoying how his continued movements kept her body vibrating with strong aftershocks, until just after she crumbled against him, unable to stand the pleasure raidiating through her. He called her name reverently as he released his seed deep inside her core.

They sat in silence, save for their labored breathing, clutching tightly to each other, until the ringing of Booth's phone broke through their peaceful cocoon.

"Your phone..." she pecked him on the lips, "... is ringing."

"Don't they realise I'm busy." he groaned as she stood up, causing him to slip from her body.

"At least they waited until after we finished." she said as she bent to the floor and rummaged around for his cell phone in the heap of discarded clothing. It started ringing again as she found it and handed it to him.

"Thanks babe." he took it from her flipping her open. "Booth... no I didn't hear it ringing, yeah... no I'll be right back... fifteen minutes..." he said before shutting the phone. "Cullen's looking for me, I've got to get back."

"Then you better get your pants back on." she laughed at the sight of him sitting in her kitchen chair with his pants gathered down around his knees.

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Booth stood unnoticed just outside of Brennan's office door listening to her telling Angela about her experiences in El Salvador. He had come to check up on her after the situation with Ortez, and had found her talking quietly to her friend. He was baffled at what he heard his girlfriend confessing. He knew she had been on several unorthodox so called vacations, but he was shocked, and upset, to hear one of the untold many horrible things she had lived through because of them. When silence fell over the two women, he stepped inside and began speaking, "Bones." he said catching her attention.

"Booth... how long..."

"Long enough." he responded, voice tight with his concern for her. "Ange, can you..."

"Already gone." Angela said, shooting Brennan a look before scooting out of the office, shutting the door behind her.

"Well, at least that explains why you felt compelled to kick Ortez's ass." he said his voice low.

"Booth..."

"Were you gonna tell me about that, ever?"

"I knew it would upset you, and I just didn't want..."

"Of course it would upset me. You know how much I care about you."

"I care about you too. But to be fair, I'm sure there are things that have happened to you, that would upset me, that you haven't told me about."

He stood quietly, pondering her what she had said, knowing it was true. "You right, but it would have been nice if I had known you meeting with Ortez would bother you like it did. And just so you know, we are seriously gonna discuss any and all future trips you have planned to third world countries."

"We'll see when they come up." she shot him a look, before she went on, "And it wasn't just him, I don't like bullies." she tried to explain with a half-shrug.

"I noticed that actually." he smirked at her. "Can you just promise me that, in the future, before you humiliate another vicious gang leader, tell me if something is gonna set you off, so I can help you find a better way to deal with it."

Brennan responded with a slight smile, "I promise."

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Booth was just getting back to the office when he was approached by Agent Summers.

"Booth."

"Yeah."

"Message from the gang task force unit," Summers replied, "uh, Mara Muerte has put a hit out on your lady scientist." he read from a piece of paper before handing it to Booth.

"Oh man. Shit!" he said staring at the slip of paper, his face etched with worry.

"Any response?"

"Yeah, just tell 'em I got the message, tell 'em thanks." he said as he began pacing, upset and unsure what to do. He took a seat on the bench outside the elevator bank, his eyes moving nervously side-to-side trying to think of a way to fix the problem. He pulled his cell out of his coat pocket, flipping it open and dialed a familiar number. "Yeah, this is Agent Booth, I need to speak to the head of security." he waited until he was patched through to the Medico-Legal lab's security department. "Hey Fred, it's Agent Booth, I need you to post additional security on all entrances to the lab. I have reason to believe that Dr. Brennan may be in danger... yes, and if you could keep all available eyes on her, without her knowing what's going on... yeah, and if she tries to leave, I want someone to walk her to her car... just make up an excuse, I don't know... I'll take care of that, thanks Fred." he said as hung up. He took a deep breath before he opened his phone and dialed again. "Ange, hi... I needed to ask you to do me a favor... I need you to keep an eye on Bones for me..."

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"I'm here, I'm here." Booth said as he rushed to meet up with Brennan and Angela. "Am I in trouble?"

"Of course you're in trouble, you're late for a funeral." Angela replied as they began walking towards their cars.

"You told me you'd be here, where were you?" Brennan asked as she spared a glance at him.

"Something came up that I had to take care of, something important."

"Something more important than a funeral?"

"Yeah, I think it was." he said seriously. "I'm sorry, Bones, I wanted to be here, but I couldn't. Can I make it up to you? Dinner?"

Brennan regarded him in silence, realizing from the look in his eyes and his tone of voice that he must have had a genuinely good reason for not showing up. "Okay, dinner sounds good."

"I'll see you at seven. Ange, can you give her a lift home?"

"Sure thing G-man."

"Thanks. So, seven." he said as he walked backwards away from them towards his own car.

"Seven." Brennan nodded as she watched him turn to leave.

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"Bones," Booth yelled through the apartment door, his arms laden with grocery and take-out bags, "can you get the door for me baby?"

"Did you forget your key?" Brennan asked as she pulled open the door wearing a navy peasent skirt and a pale pink bra.

"My hands are full. I like the outfit." he kissed her on the lips as he walked past her into the apartment. "Did you dress up just for me?" he teased.

"I wasn't sure what to wear, I didn't know where we were going." she closed the door and followed after him into the kitchen. "Are we going out?"

"No, we're staying in. I got us oysters on the half shell from Hank's, and a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc." he said sitting the bags on the kitchen island.

"Sounds good. Are you going to tell me where you were earlier?" she asked him, walking up behind him and wrapping her arms around his torso.

"Temperance," he sighed, turning around in her arms to face her, "I had to protect you." he responded to her question, reaching up to cup her face in his hand.

"What do you mean? Why did you think I needed to be protected, I can take care of myself."

"I know you can. But I had to do this."

"_What_ did you have to do?"

"Ortez... he, uh... you know it's really not a good idea to beat up a murderous gang leader... he... he needed to be told that _no one_ threatens you, I won't stand for it."

"Seeley..."

"Don't worry about it, it's taken care of." he leaned forward, taking her lips. "I had to keep you safe." he spoke quietly into the kiss. "Bones,... (kiss) ... Temperance... (kiss) ..." he pulled back, locking his eyes with hers. "I love you."

"I love you, too." she replied softly and without any hesitation in her voice.

He stared at her in awe for nearly half a minute before he could get his mouth to work, "We said it." he laughed, a smile spreading across his face.

"Yes, we did." she laughed with him. "And you know what I find amazing - that didn't hurt at all." she kissed his smiling mouth. "I love you, Seeley."

"I love you, Temperance." he returned the kiss. "phew, now that we've done that..." he took a deep calming breath, "how about some oysters and a glass of wine for the love of my life."

"Absolutely, as long as it is immediately followed by you taking me to bed."

"I think that sounds like the perfect evening."

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So... they said it, I hope that was okay. I would love to know what you all are thinking, drop me a line. And again, sorry for the long delay, hopefully the next chapter will be up sooner that this one was. Toodles : )


	10. Chapter Nine : The Man on the Fairway

So sorry, this chapter started off so easy and then I hit a brick wall. I'll try to post "Two Bodies in a Lab" much sooner than it took me to get this one up. Please R&R, much love, Nessa. Disclaimer still stand, I own nothing, I make no money off of this, it's only for fun. Dialog taken from episode and to be credited to shows writers. B/B forever...

"The Man on the Fairway"

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"Booth, where are you? I stopped and picked up dinner on the way." Brennan spoke into the apartment, a large pizza box and six pack of beer precariously balanced in her arms.

"Hey, Bones." Booth greeted her with a smile and a kiss as he met up with her in the kitchen. "I tried to call you, is your phone on silent?"

"Yeah, I forgot, sorry." she apologized as she leaned into his body and grabbed ahold of his oversized belt buckle, tugging him forward. "But... I have a particularly insistant biological urge I'm going to need your help with."

Booth groaned at his girlfriends words and actions. "Temperance, god, I want you so much right now, but..." he nipped at her lips only to have her pull back from him.

"What's going on, why are your clothes wet?" she questioned as she leaned back taking in the way his wet tank top clung to his abdomen.

He groaned again, knowing that their biological urges were going to have to wait. "Rebecca called earlier... she asked if I could pick up Parker from school. She had to have dinner with clients, last minute. I'm sorry, I know we haven't been able to spend much time together the past couple of weeks, but I couldn't not watch him."

"No, it's okay. I know how much you love Parker. You need to spend time with him whenever you can."

"I love you, too..."

"I know you do, love you." she replied with a quick kiss. "We can work on our biological urges after Parker goes to bed." she whispered in his ear before she bit down on the lobe.

"Promise?"

"Promise, you couldn't keep me from you. So,... is he still in the bath?"

"Yeah, I told him he had ten minutes to play before it was time to get cleaned up. You wanna help me give him his bath? We can be all domestic..."

"Are you trying to make me panic - don't say domestic."

"Sorry. C'mon Bones, couples do things together..." he said as he grabbed her by the hips, puling her body snug against his.

"Fine, but you're making it up to me tonight." she agreed reluctantly, shrugging off her blazer and pushing up the sleeves on her top.

"Looking forward to it." he smirked at her as he took her hand and led her to the bathroom.

"Hi Parker, are you having fun?" she greeted the four year old as she entered the bathroom.

"Tempwance!" the little boy shouted, jumping out of the water and running to wrap his arms around her legs, soaking her in the process. "Daddy said ya'd tum."

"Hey buddy." she bent down to his level, allowing him to wrap his arms around her neck, squeezing tightly. "Of course I wanted to spend time with my two favorite guys. Now come on, back in the tub before you freeze."

"O-tay." he agreed, pulling away from her and climbing back into the tub.

"Okay, so..." she looked back over her shoulder at Booth as she kneeled down by the tub, "I don't know what to do... are you planning on helping or are you just going to stand there and watch?"

"I don't know - you, giving my son a bath - I think I'd like to watch this, take it all in. To good to pass up." he laughed as he watched the woman he loved attempt to take care of his son.

"Seeley!"

"Yeah, yeah." he moved from his spot leaning in the doorway and came to kneel beside her at the tub. "Alright bub, lets get you all spiffed up, then before bed, maybe Temperance can read your bedtime story and help tuck you in. Sound good?"

"U-huh." Parker nodded, very much liking the idea.

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"I didn't think, he'd ever go to sleep." Brennan said as she and Booth tumled onto his bed in a tangle of entwined limbs. "What have you been up to this week?" she asked as she pulled her shirt over her head and tossed it to the floor. "Is Cullen intentionally trying to keep us apart?"

"Bones, let's try not to mention my boss when we're in the process of getting naked, 'kay?" he said, taking off his own shirt before he attacked her mouth. "Want you..." he pulled back from her lips and unlatched her bra, sliding it off her body. "You're so hot." he mumbled as he leaned down to suck at her breast.

"Daddy..." could be heard through the closed door.

"Shit." he said releasing her from his mouth. "Hold on buddy, I'll be right there." he climbed off the bed going to the door.

"Booth, wait." Brennan said as she gathered up the discarded clothes, holding them to her chest as she snuck quickly into the bathroom and shut the door.

"Hey bub, what's going on?" Booth asked opening the door to his tearful son.

"I hada bad dweam." Parker said through his tears.

"Oh no, what happened?" he asked as he heard the bathroom door open and Brennan step back into the bedroom briefly, digging around in the dresser before returning to the bathroom.

"I was at da zoo on a fiewd twip and da aminals got out of da cages and de chased me." he explained burrying his face in his fathers chest. "Tan I sweep wif ya 'n' Tempwance?" he asked, pulling back and looking up at Booth with sad puppy dog eyes.

"Parker, buddy..." he started to speak, glancing over his shoulder at Brennan, who had reemerged from the bathroom wearing a pair of his boxers and one of his old t-shirts as pajamas.

"Of course you can sleep in here." Brennan totally surprised Booth by saying. "Come on." she came forward, scooping him into her arms. "You can cuddle with me while Daddy gets ready for bed." she said as she held Parker with one arm while she turned the bed down with the other. "Climb in." she sat him down. "Booth..." she spoke breaking him from his thought.

Booth stared in awe at her before he found words to express what her actions meant to him, "I love you, Temperance." he said standing up from where he had crouched down by the door.

"You'd better. Go get changed for bed." she nodded towards the bathroom as she joined Parker under the covers.

Booth stood staring at the sight before him for a moment, falling more and more in love with his Bones each second. "Bones..."

"I know, it's okay. Just change and come lay down." she said as she pulled the covers up over both her and Parker.

By the time Booth climbed in bed, Parker was asleep and cuddled into Brennan's arms. He settled himself in behind her and wrapped his arms around both of them. "He's out."

"Yeah." she said softly, turning her head to face him.

"Sorry about this."

"Don't be, it's... it feels really nice - in a very scarey, I want to run screaming, kind of way." she admitted knowing he would understand her feelings on the matter. "I kind of think I could get used to it. I like it. But don't rub it in my face or anything."

"I promise not to. But, I am sorry. This is not exactly what you - or I for that matter - where in the mood for."

"No, but we'll have time for that later. And I'm sure you like this too." she kissed him goodnight. "Love you, Booth." she turned back around and snuggled back into his body.

"I do like it." he smiled. "Night beautiful, love you. And thanks for not freakning out about all of this." he said placing a kiss on her temple before he settled in behind her for sleep.

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"We'll be meeting with agents from the FAA, the NTSB, and the local police." Brennan informed her assistant as she drove the golf cart towards the crash sight.

"Usually Booth handles those people." Zach replied, uncomfortable with the idea of interacting with other federal agencies without the aid of Booth.

"Plane crashes don't belong to the FBI."

"Why not? FAA stands for Federal Aviation Administration. The NTSB stands for National Transportation Safety Board. That sounds federal to me and the FBI stands for Federal Bureau..."

"Zach!" she said to cut him off.

"This is the third time in a row we've investigated without Booth." he whined, "I don't like it."

"I don't like it either. I'm used to working with him, and now it's like they decide they don't want us to be partners. It's frustrating." That wasn't the only thing frustrating the anthropologist either. Their morning routine - sharing a shower that involved very little actual showering - was a no go due to Booth having to get Parker to school before work. "And anyway," she went on, "why do you miss working with him? He mostly ignores you."

"Ignoring me is Booth's way of acknowledging my presence. It's a guy thing."

'No, it's Booth's way of not having to deal with you so he isn't compelled to shoot you.' Brennan thought as she pulled to a stop outside the yellow police tape around the crash sight. "Here we are."

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"Booth." he answered his desk phone as he went over his paperwork from his most recent case.

"Hey, it's me. Are you busy?"

"I'm never to busy to talk to you Bones. What's going on?"

"I want you to come over, I've got something I want to show you, something I think you might find interesting."

"You do, huh. I've got something that might interest you too. Something that didn't get any attention last night or this morning." he said suggestively.

"Booth, I'm serious. I have something work related to show you."

"Sure you do. You just can't go without me for another few hours, can you?" he teased her.

"Just come over here. I'm hanging up now."

"Bones, wait. If I'm good and play along with your work problem... thing, can we skip out of the lab for a bit?"

Brennan hesitated a few seconds before she replied, "We'll see." she said as she hung up her end of the line.

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"Are you gonna tell me where we're going?" Booth asked her as he followed close behind her, his hand resting comfortably at the small of her back. "I mean, cause normally we go to the storage room, or the utility closet, or my personal favorite, the conference room..."

"Booth, I told you on the phone this is about work, it might mean a case for us."

"Yeah, but, I was hoping you were just trying to get me over here and then you'd surprise me by dragging me to a secluded room for, you know, sex."

"No, I was actually talking about work."

"Damn it." he huffed as he followed her into one of the smaller examination rooms off the main lab. "So no sex at all?"

"Booth, focus. Listen to me first and we'll see. Now, do you see these three bone fragments?"

"Yeah, they're amazing..." he deadpanned.

"They were found at the plane crash sight."

"Yeah, imagine that, bone fragments at a plane wreck."

"Why are you being so snippy with me?"

"Because I thought... I'm just... nevermind... go ahead and explain it to me."

"Okay," she paused giving him a look before she continued,"we found these three bone fragments right where the plane went down, but these aren't charred like the others."

"Which means..."

"They weren't on the plane. It's a murder..." she explained as she picked up one of the pieces os bone with a pair of forceps. "You got it, or do you want me to go over it again?"

"No, I got it, okay. The plane goes down - Kablooey - there's an extra body on board - which you really don't care about because you are more interested in these bone fragments that you found on the ground." he recaps as he reaches out to touch one of the bones on the illuminated table, only to have his hand smacked away by Brennan. "Hey, no smacking."

"Then don't try and touch."

"Don't touch what? You or the bones?"

"Right now - either."

He harumphed, "Hmm, is that all you got?"

"So far. A piece of skull, a chunk of vertebrae, part of a femur..."

"Not much to go on."

"These fragments come from a person who was hacked." she went on to say, trying to convince him the bones on the table before him spelled out murder.

"Hacked to little bits?" he asked with a grimace on his face.

"No, medium sized bits. I'm not sure how it turned into little bits yet."

"Okay," he nodded, "and I'm here why?"

"Dismemberment, little bits - it's a murder."

"Well, the FBI doesn't have jurisdiction at a golf course."

"Well who does?"

"I don't know, try the PGA." he quipped, a cheeky smile spreading across his face. "Uh-huh, you know, you've done a couple of cases without me and you miss working with me. Spending our night together isn't enough for you." he again teased her.

"Zach misses working with you, not me." she denied.

"Zach and I don't even talk." he replied confused.

"I know, but he seems to think it's some sort of male bonding ritual."

"Maybe he's right."

"No, he's not."

"Could be."

"No, I'm sure you told him that so you wouldn't have to talk with him."

"Yeah, so what if I did. It's nicer to do that than shooting him, which is what I want to do if I have to interact with the weirdo."

"You could try to be nicer to him... for me."

He made no response for several long seconds, "I'll try and work on it." he said reluctantly.

"Thank you." she rewarded him with a very brief peck on the lips before turning her attention back to the table before her. "Goodman has ordered me to investigate the other extra body."

"Well than, you'd better get on that. So, if there's no lunchtime sexcapades, I'm going to get back to the office. Love you." he whispered against her temple as he pressed a kiss there.

"You aren't going to help me with the murder?"

"Bones, we just went over this - no jurisdiction."

"But..."

"Dr. Brennan, Agent Booth," Dave, one of the security guards said, popping into the small room, "you have a visitor." he finished before leaving.

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"My expertise in missing persons investigations derives from one thing, my search for my father." Jesse Kane explained as he handed over a newspaper clipping to Brennan. "He went missing five years ago durring a trip to his cottage in Virginia Beach."

"What makes you think these bone fragments come from your father?" she asked as she went overr the newspaper article, only to have it snatched away from her by Booth.

Booth glancing briefly at the paper, ignors their conversation and starts his own line of questioning in between bites of his lunch, "Alright, you know, there is a question of national security here that is in my jurisdiction." he said before turning to Brennan, "He's not supposed to know about the Chinese."

"My investigation," Kane went on, ignoring Booth, "led me to conclude that my father was murdered in the area and his body disposed."

"What did the police say?"

"They gave upu four years ago."

"Because there was no evidence of foul play." Booth commented, handing the article back to Kane.

"The investigation was bungled. The city police didn't have the manpower, the state police said it was a federal matter, and you guys," he looked to Booth, "suggested a private investigator."

"It was not bungled, okay," Booth spoke to Brennan, "because there was no evidence of foul play. It's a common story, okay. A guy goes in for a pack of cigarettes and ends up renting out snorkling gear in Guam."

Kane, trying to find a sympathetic ear in Brennan, went on, "He doesn't know what it's like to loose a parent - you do."

Booth, knowing what Kane was up to, felt his hackles rise at that comment. He wasn't going to allow this ass to play _his_ girlfriend. "You want to back down a jot there buddy?" he said to Kane, leaning forward and pointing a finger his way.

"How do you know about that?" Brennan asked, slightly rattled by his knowledge of her background.

"No offense, Dr. Brennan, but you're a writer. You're a well known scientist, it's out there. Plus, you're one of us."

"One of us?"

"People who's loved ones have simply vanished, in your case, both parents."

Booth jumps back into the conversation, desperate to change the subject. "Okay, how do you know about the Chinese?" he snaps his fingers to get Kane's attention, "Do not look at Dr. Brennan," he continued, putting his hand in front of Brennan's face trying to get Kane to pay attention to him and his questions. "Whether you like it or not, this is an issue between you and the FBI." he finished as Brennan pushed his hand from in front of her face.

"If body parts are found in roughly the area where my father disappeared, I'm going to know about it. Radio chatter, the internet, the local law enforcement, that's all I'm prepared to tell you. Do you mind if I ask you how many bone fragments you found?" he asked Brennan.

"Yes, I do. I don't discuss ongoing investigations."

"She doesn't discuss ongoing investigtions." Booth repeated her words, glad she wasn't falling for Kane's scheming.

"Fair enough Dr. Brennan. These are my notes from the last five years, every lead, every clue. Every person I have ever talked with is here." he said getting to a filing box in the chair beside him.

"Mm-hmm, and why would Dr. Brennan care about that?"

"Cause it will at least give her a candidate to eliminate."

"He's got a point." she agreed with Kane as she looked to Booth.

"My father's medical records, pictures, last known whereabouts, even a connection to the golf course. Also my phone number, but don't worry, if I don't hear from you, you'll hear from me." he said before he stood and left.

"Wow," Booth whistled, "pushy."

"Well, maybe he discovered that being pushy is how you get cops to pay attention."

"What are you hawking at me for?"

"You were mean to him."

"He wouldn't stop staring at you. And he was acting a bit to familier if you ask me."

"This is you trying to demonstrate your alpha male status."

"Is not."

"Is so."

"Is not. And just to clear things up, _you_ don't know have to be pushy to get my attention. You always manage to catch my attention in far more interesting ways." he wagged his brows at her.

"What then? Do you suggest Jesse try my approach and seduce a law enforcement officer to get the attention he wants."

"No, I think it only works when it's a sexy woman that's doing the seducing." he leaned in only inches from her lips. "I want to kiss you."

"You can't, we're in public." she sat back in her chair, distancing herself from him. "The Chinese, the plane crash - that's geo politics. This is murder. Will you help?"

"You gonna seduce me to get me to say yes?"

"I think plan on continuing to seduce you either way."

"Then yes, I'll help."

"Really?'

"Well, you know, I guess if you're, uh, really asking me, I guess I could, uh, you know, fudge it with my boss to make it look like it was attached to the Chinese plane crash thing." he said, sealing his promise to help with his trademark charm smile.

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Brennan led Kane to her office after having shown him the three small bone fragments. Walking to her desk, she picked up a small file and handed it to him. "You're right about me not having much to go on as far as my parents go. That file, that's all I have. It's nothing really."

"This is all you have?" he asked, his voice laden with disbelief.

"Yes - you were right about how little it is."

"No, I mean - this is only your copy of the official file."

"Yes. What else would there be?"

"You never tried to hire any private investigators, did any poking around yourself?" he asked, stepping closer to her.

"Well, I'm pretty new at field work. I've mostly been a lab rat my whole career. Plus, I trusted the authorities would do what they could."

"The authorities have rooms filled with files like these, warehouses."

"I'm the authorities, Booth is the authorities." she reasoned with him.

"Did you ever show this file to Booth?"

Brennan hesitated to reply, not sure why she had never asked Booth for his help with her parents disappearance, but she was sure now that she would. "No... no." she said quietly, tears pooling in her clear blue eyes, emotional from thinking to much about her parents recently.

Kane, seeing her vulnerability on her face, decided to try his luck at kissing her. He leaned in as Brennan backed away.

"This is where I work." she said as an excuse, "And I... I'm seeing someone,... I'm with someone, very seriously... I love him." she babbled nervously, wanting him to just back off.

"Am I interupting something?" Angela asked as she stepped into the office.

"No, uhm, Angela, come in. This is Jesse Kane."

Angela took his hand, "Hello."

"Hi." he returned the greeting.

"Hi, Angela... Montenegro." she said giving him the once over.

"What is that?" Brennan noticed the paper in her best friends hand.

"Oh, nothing that can't wait."

"Is it about my father?" Kane asked, very interested in getting a look at the paper Brennan now held in her hand.

"In as far as I know, which is quite far, believe me," Angela bypassed his question, "no one has tried to kiss Brennan in this office and lived to tell about it."

"Not even the man she's in love with?"

"... in love with..." Angela repeated his words confused as she looked to Brennan.

"Angela!" Brennan said hoping her friend would stop talking.

"Would one of you please tell me what that piece of paper is?"

"It's a, uh, it's a schematic comparing the skull fragments we found on the golf course to pictures of your father."

"And?"

"It doesn't not match your father." Brennan replied handing him the paper.

"So it could be him?"

"Yeah, there's a pretty good chance." she told him.

"I knew it." he shook his head, staring at the information before him.

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"Bren, sweetie, do you care to explain that to me?" Angela asked, following her friend out to the main part of the lab.

"Explain what?" she asked, not meeting Angela's eyes.

"The whole 'the man she's in love with' thing."

"I was just, uhm, trying to let him down easily." she rambled off quickly.

"So you made up a guy you're in love with, on the spot?"

"Uhm, yeah, to, you know, get him to back off." she went on, "And Booth thinks he might be a suspect."

"Oh, now you're just looking for excuses not to get involved."

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"You did good talking to Zach today." Brennan said as she joined Booth at the bar of Wong Fu's after they had wrapped the case.

"Yeah, well, there's this really beautiful woman that I kind of have a thing for... she asked me to try. But, try not to get to used to it, I'm not sure I can do it all the time." he said with a laugh as Sid sat a drink down in front of Brennan. "To another case solved, and the best partner I've ever had." he raised his beer glass to her.

She smiled and clanked her glass against his before she took a drink.

"How did Jesse take it? FInding out his father's still missing..."

"Like an orphan." she replied. "What?" she asked at Booth's baffled expression.

Booth laughed before speaking, "That's just a little poetic for you."

"I didn't mean it that way." she hesitated, "I want to ask you another favor."

"Oh geeze, another favor..." he took a deep gulp of his beer.

"Not about a case, this one's personal. I wonder if you wouldn't mind taking a look at this." she said as she handed him the small file folder.

He sat his beer down and looked at the label on the file, "The file on your parents?" he asked shooting a look her way. "Yeah, okay." he agreed, looking like he wanted to say something else.

"Do you want to think about it? It's a pretty big favor."

"Why would I need to think about it, you'd do it for me."

"Yeah, I would." she smiled at him.

"I'm proud you asked Temperance." he smiled back at her. "I wanted to look into this for you, but I didn't..."

"You didn't what?" she urged him to continue.

"I didn't want you to think I was, I don't know... overstepping some line, or, you know..."

"You wouldn't have been overstepping, but I appreciate that you were worried about upsetting me." she leaned into him. "But you can't overstep if I invite you in. So, you're sure you wouldn't mind?"

"It would be my pleasure, Bones." he said as he also leaned in close to her eliciting a smile from her.

"Ahh, Dr. Brennan," Zach said catching their attention, "Angela wants to know if we should order anything for you?"

"No, I'm not staying, thanks Zach."

Zach nodded before turning to Booth, "Guess we caught another one, right?"

Booth made no reply or even acknowledge that Zach had spoken.

"All for one and one for all." Zach tried again.

Booth, still ignoring Zach, spoke to Brennan, "I'll take a look at this and see what they didn't give you and I'll get back to you, okay?"

Brennan nodded as Zach smiled and backed away to his table, leaving them alone again. "You're back to ignoring Zach?"

He huffed, "Alright look, I know you don't approve, but, you know, it works for us - it works for him, so..."

"Yeah, I get it, and it's kind of sweet."

"Hey, you know, your people are my people."

"What - I have people?" she smiled as she stood from her stool, "Hey, I have people."

"Me included."

"You included. I'm going home, will I see you?"

"Yeah, I'll give you a fifteen minute head start." he said watching her walk towards to door. Once she walked away, he opened the file and looked at the two pictures on top. One of Matthew and Christine Brennan, the other of a smiling young Temperance. He smiled at the photograph, running his fingers over her youthful face, before he tucked the picture into his inner coat pocket. He was sure she wouldn't mind him hanging on to it.

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So again let me say, I am so, so, so sorry for the insanely long delay between post - I know you all must hate me. Also, sorry for the lack of smut, but there will be some next time in... "Two Bodies in the Lab" so until then, please R&R. Love you guys, and thanks for all the reviews so far. Toodles, Nessa : ) 


	11. Chapter Ten : Two Bodies in the Lab

Hello all, just a few quick notes. I want you all to disregard any and all mention of David and her internet dating. Also, all scenes with Kenton and the rescue scene (i.e. scenes in warehouse at end of episode) are to be viewed as they were in the episode. And I apologize, but I moved the 'knight in shining FBI standard issue body armor' to where it fit in better with my version, don't hate me for it. Hope you enjoy. Love you all, Nessa

"Two Bodies in the Lab"

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"There you are. I went to your office first, but you, obviously, were not there." Brennan grinned at Booth when she found him in the break room getting his morning coffee.

"Hey, Bones," he turned to face her at hearing her voice, "what are you doing here?" he walked closer to her placing a hand on her hip.

"I don't know…" she shrugged, "I missed you this morning when I woke up, and I was on the way to the lab, but… I ended up here." she tried to explain as she stepped into his body.

"I know, but you looked so cute all snuggled under the covers. And I figured I kept you up late," he smirked down at her, "so I thought you deserved to sleep in a bit."

"Yeah, but I didn't get a goodbye kiss this morning." she went on as she tilted her face up to his. "But, we should be careful," she glanced over her shoulder towards the door, "someone could walk in on us."

"We should be quick then." he leaned down and kissed her sweetly on the lips.

"Booth, man, do you… whoa, sorry." Kenton came walking into the room to find the couple mid-liplock.

"Hey… Kenton." Booth said as Brennan jumped quickly away from him.

"Sorry to interrupt, I didn't realize you were trying to get lucky in here, man." he spoke to Booth as he nodded to Brennan.

"Uhm, no, it was just…" Brennan stammered, hoping to come up with some sort of excuse for the scene Kenton walked in on.

"Bones, he's not going to buy it, baby, we're busted." Booth chuckled as he drew her back into his arms and pressed a kiss to her hair. "Kenton, this is my Bones, Dr. Temperance Brennan. Bones, this is an old friend of mine, Special Agent Jamie Kenton."

"Hey," Kenton, stuck his hand out to shake hers, "nice to meet you."

"Yeah, hi." Brennan said awkwardly as she shook his hand.

"Listen man," Booth spoke to Kenton, "nobody really knows about us being a couple, so, uhm…"

"Hey, I'll make you a deal," Kenton replied lightly, "stop stealing my damn mug," he gestured to the novelty mug Booth had pulled out of the cabinet for his morning coffee, "and nobody finds out you're, you know, getting it on with your partner."

"The mug is yours man. Thanks."

"Then we've got a deal. It was nice to meet you Dr. Brennan." he said as he poured a mug full of coffee and left the break room.

"I can't believe how stupid…"

"Hey, hey, don't. So somebody caught us, we've been together for almost six months, I'd say we've done pretty good sneaking around." He tried to console her. "And Kenton is not gonna say anything. It'll be fine."

Brennan took several deep calming breaths before she nodded. "Alright, I'm fine, you're right, everything will be fine…" she said even though her tone of voice didn't fit her words. "I've got to get to the lab."

"Okay, I'll see you tonight for our dinner, unless we get a case."

"Are you sure we should go to Nolita's? If we go to Sid's or the diner and someone sees us we can pass it off as nothing, but if someone sees us at a nice restaurant they're going to catch on to us."

"Stop worrying, we're going to Nolita's, seven o'clock. I've never taken you out for a nice dinner, I want to do this." He told her with finality. "Now, off to work. Love you."

"Okay. Love you. See you tonight." she kissed him very quickly before ducking out the door.

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"Temperance," Dr. Goodman spoke from her doorway, catching her attention, "you have a delivery, well, two actually. A delivery man just dropped these off for you." he said sitting down a vibrant arrangement of fresh cut orchids in a clear glass vase. "And we have a new delivery," he gestured out into the lab, "top priority."

"Thanks, I'll be right there." she said, hoping he wouldn't pry about the flowers.

"You know, when one sends orchids it is representative of preciousness and seduction." Dr. Goodman said observing the colorful flowers on her desk. "I wasn't aware you were with anyone at present."

Knowing if she opened her mouth she would babble uncontrollably and embarrass herself, she settled for a secretive smile.

"I'll tell the others you'll be out shortly." he smiled as he left her office.

Pulling the small card from the vase, she read the note, 'I couldn't resist being romantic today, not after you stopped by for a morning kiss.' was all he had written. Smiling, she tucked the card into her pants pocket, stood from her desk chair and walked out into the lab.

"What do we have so far?" she asked approaching the platform as she tied her hair back into a messy ponytail.

"The bones washed ashore on Chesapeake Bay." Zach started explaining.

"Judging from the algae, he's been fish food for quite awhile." Hodgins said as he carefully looked over the remains.

"They ate through both tibias." Brennan commented as she glanced at the body.

Zach went on, "The remains show evidence of bullet wounds."

"Which would explain why he has all those holes in him." Hodgins snarked.

"… looks as though they weren't made by a thirty-two, maybe a thirty-eight."

"Heard you might need a face." Angela said as she walked up on the platform. "And I heard you received a delivery of some very beautiful flowers."

Brennan ignored Angela as Dr. Goodman began to speak.

"The FBI is pretty certain this is James Cugeni."

"I don't know who that is."

"It's a mob boss who disappeared six years ago after his daughters dance recital." Angela explained to her.

"Cement shoes, pretty trite." Hodgins nearly laughed.

Brennan shrugged, "Why mess with the classics. Did they find any bullets?"

"No." her assistant replied.

Brennan looked closely at the femurs buried in the cement, a small smile on her face. "They really are quite good at this."

"Should we really be involved in mob stuff?" Hodgins questioned. "I mean, they're really into the whole killing thing."

"I can provide you with a job description if you've forgotten what we do here, Dr. Hodgins." Dr. Goodman said sounding irritated.

Hodgins replied only with an annoyed look.

"After you clean him up, Zach," Brennan said as she still looked closely at the bones, "I want you to x-ray the bone for any bullet fragments. Be very careful cleaning the exit and entrance wounds. I want to recover any markings the bullet left as it passed through the bone."

"Yeah, I can have them ready about eight tonight."

Brennan was about to agree when she remembered her dinner plans with Booth, "Ah, can't work tonight. Tomorrow morning is fine." she said sounding ever so slightly disappointed.

"Do you have a date tonight? Sweetie do tell."

"I… why would you think…" she stammered.

"You do have a date." Angela said as a smile spread across her face.

"With a man?" Hodgins threw in teasingly as Booth and Kenton headed onto the platform.

"Is it the guy who sent you the flowers?"

"You've got a date, Bones? Do I need to check him out, make sure he isn't a psychopath?" he teased her.

"No, Booth. I think even you would approve of him." she smiled at him, playing their secretive game flawlessly.

"I wanna meet him." Angela spoke of Brennan's mystery date as she none to subtly eyed the man with Booth. "Hi, I'm Angela." she held out her hand to him.

"Special Agent Jamie Kenton, hi." He shook her outstretched hand. "Dr. Brennan." he nodded at her.

"Hey." Brennan replied to his greeting with a slight smile, nervous and unsure how to act.

"You two know each other?" Angela questioned.

Brennan hesitated briefly before her brain quickly came up with a version of the truth that she could share with everyone, "Well, I was at the Bureau when Booth took his coffee cup." she explained to them as Booth laughed out loud at her quick thinking. She smiled, knowing that Booth was laughing at her quick thinking. "Apparently they're both the world's greatest FBI agent."

"That's right." Booth said, still laughing. "Kenton is working the Cugeni case. He's one of the original investigators. This," he said to Kenton as he gestured to all the squints, "is Brennan's brain trust."

"Your victim," Brennan spoke to Kenton, "is over here." she said walking towards the exam table.

"So, Bones, what if your flower guy is a psycho?" Booth continued to taunt his girlfriend.

"Booth, as much as you protest about Bren dating, I'm starting to think you might be jealous." Angela spoke directly to Booth, her arms crossed and a scowl on her face, determined to get at least a small rise out of him.

Booth huffed, acting like her comment was ridiculous, not even bothering to offer an actual response.

"Look, my date is not up for discussion." Brennan said in such a way as to make everyone pay attention. "Is there a reason you're here," she spoke to Booth, "because Agent Kenton is handling this case."

"What, I can't just come visit my partner." he smirked at her, to which she responded with a glare. "I'm here because we have some remains to look at."

"I'm already looking at them."

"Nope, no, not the Cugeni case. Kenton will baby-sit him. These are fresh."

"Well, I was told that our friend in the cement shoes took precedence."

"That was before we found someone tortured and ripped apart by dog. So grab your kit and let's get going."

"Sure, I'll be right back." she went off to get her things.

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"Maybe we should postpone our dinner for another night." Brennan said as they drove back to the lab from the warehouse. "You just… you're upset and I just think it might be a good idea to wait. We can have our romantic dinner another night, when we aren't in the middle of two murder investigations."

He was quiet at first, thinking of a way to reply. "Look, I know… I got upset earlier… about the girl," he said very slowly, measuring his words, "but we can't let these cases mess with our heads and ruin our personal lives. We're going to dinner… I want to go."

"Okay, we'll go. I've got a little bit of work I'd like to get done at the lab, so can I meet you at Nolita's?"

"Yeah, as long as you show up."

"I'll be there, seven o'clock."

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"Hey gorgeous, you look great." Booth greeted Brennan with a kiss as she approached him outside the small bistro.

"I'm still wearing my clothes from earlier." she laughed at him.

"You always look beautiful, no matter what you've…" he was interrupted by the sound of gunfire. He pulled Brennan to him and ducked behind a car with her in his arms until the bullets stopped flying. "Are you okay, you didn't get hit did you?"

"No, I'm fine, are you?"

"Yeah." He kissed her on the forehead as he whipped out his cell phone and called in the incident.

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"Bren, sweetie, Booth just called my phone freaking out. Did you tell him you were going home? Because he said he tried to reach you at home and on your cell."

"I was on my way home but I didn't think I could get any sleep after everything, so I came in to get some work done."

"He's really worried about you. After everything that happened tonight, you shouldn't be saying one thing and doing another."

"Okay, I'm sorry."

"He's on his way here, maybe you should be prepared to grovel for going missing on him."

"I will." she said as she pulled on her lab coat. "I don't know why he's so worried, I'm fine and I can take care of myself."

"Hey, Booth is a big, strong, hot guy who wants to save your life. I mean, you actually have a knight in shining FBI standard issue body armor, so cut him some slack."

Brennan nodded as she headed up on the platform to go over the remains again.

After snapping at Zach about his less than stellar work cleaning the bones and fussing at everyone else, making sure they were on task, Booth walked in yelling just as she sat at her microscope.

"Bones, what the hell are you doing?"

"Working. Why does everyone find that so odd?"

"Why? Oh, I don't know. Why?" he swiped his card and stormed up on the platform. "Because maybe an hour ago someone tried to kill you. I don't think it's a good idea for you to continue to work these cases." He said walking close to her.

"This is what I do, Booth." She replied calmly as she looked up at him.

"Alright look, whoever killed these victims want to make sure you don't finish your investigation." He tried to reason with her.

"Hundreds of criminals would like me to stop what I do. Are you suggesting that I just give up my career?" she asked.

"Just be reasonable." He pleaded with her.

"Fine." she said as she gathered up her papers and stood. "Logic suggest that the shooter is involved in one of these cases so I should find out who killed them before he tries to shoot me, or us, again." She stated as she walked away, much to Booth's frustration. "Did forensics recover any of the bullets?"

"Ballistics is running test on them right now."

"And have you picked up the suspect in the young woman's murder?"

"Hollings. I don't want to spook him until we have enough evidence but I've got guys watching him."

"Did you get a list of women missing age eighteen to twenty…"

"Eighteen to twenty-five," he cut off her rapid fire questioning, "yes, they're on your server. Bones, everyone is doing their job."

Angela, overhearing their conversation, jumped in, "Okay, I will see if any of them match the victim." she said as she took a seat at the computer and logged onto the server.

"Well, what about the Romano family? Hodgins says they were feuding with the Cugeni's."

"Kenton is pulling all the files on the case on all mob activity six years ago. Now, Bones, is there anything else you can be doing while the squints do there thing?"

"Well… I could…"

"Yes or no, tell me right now."

"No." she said with hesitation in her voice.

"Then I'm escorting you home. It's been a crazy night, I don't want you spending the rest of it here at the lab working yourself to death. Everyone else is going home as soon as they finish what they're working on now." he spoke out loud to the squints, making sure they all got the message. "So, right now, I'm driving you home."

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"You're overreacting about all of this." Brennan told Booth as she cuddled into his embrace, using his chest as her pillow.

"I'm not overreacting, okay, we were shot at. You were shot at, you could be seriously hurt, or dead. I think I'm being pretty damn calm considering."

"Booth…"

"Look, I need to be a bit overprotective right now, okay. You're going to have to deal with it until we catch the asshole that tried to shoot at us… at you."

She propped her chin on the arm draped across his chest and smiled up at him. "Angela was right."

"About what?"

"She said you were a big, strong, hottie. She called you my very own knight in shining FBI body armor." Booth laughed out loud at that, his full belly laugh, moving Brennan as she lay partially atop him. "She was right." She leaned up to kiss him as she threw her leg over his waist to straddle him.

"Well, if I'm the knight…" he flipped her onto her back and moved overtop of her, "I get to be on top I think." he said before he took her mouth in a hungry kiss as he grasped her legs by the knees and moved them so his hips settled above hers.

"I don't understand your logic, but either way, I think the end result will be the same."

"Damn right baby." He smiled as he reached between them and positioned himself at her entrance. Satisfied that she was ready for him, he sank himself into her fully.

"Seeley…" she gasped at the feel of him stretching her, filling her.

He gave a few slow, shallow thrust as he kissed her again, keeping his rhythm off just enough to keep her off balance.

Brennan put up with his maddening motion for a few minutes before her frustration got the better of her. Using her legs, she rolled them over so she was sprawled on top of him.

"What happened to me being on top?" he smirked as he parted from her lips.

"You know I like to lead." she smiled back at him as she brought her hands up to tangle in his dark locks. She set a steady rhythm and pace, bringing them each closer and closer to their mutual release.

"I love you." He whispered to her as her movements faltered slightly as she was overtaken by her orgasm. "Oh god… love you… Tempe…" he moaned as her body coaxed his release from him.

They lay still in each others arms, save for their breathing, as they stared into the others eyes and kissed.

"See," he spoke as their breathing returned to normal, "when you're on top you just get right to it. No anticipation, no savoring it – just straight to the payoff."

"So, that's the whole point of sex – the release."

"Actually the whole point of sex is to procreate." he laughed at the look of terror that crossed her face. "But, you baby… I am going to make you learn to go slow, to savor the act itself."

"You are, huh." she softly kissed his smiling lips. "Can we start now?" she asked as she began rotating her hips, stimulating him where he was still seated within her.

"If you keep that up, we'll start your lessons right away." he replied, rolling them over again.

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"Romano didn't give us anything so I should probably be back at the lab." Brennan spoke to Booth as they entered her apartment the following evening.

"No your squints can handle it. You are not leaving this apartment. You need to try and relax. We're gonna listen to music, have a glass of whatever wine we've got around, and then I'm taking you to bed for another lesson in taking it slow." he told her, leaving no room for any arguments on her part.

"What about dinner?" she asked as she followed him into the living room, wrapping her arms around him from behind as he rummaged through her CD collection.

"How about we see what we can rustle up in the kitchen. If we can't come up with anything edible we'll call for take out." he answered her, placing one hand overtop of hers were they came together at his waist. "I gotta say, Bones, you've got a weird selection of music… Kanye West, Cat Power… aha, what have we got here…" he said selecting a disc and popping it into the player. He pulled her hands from around him and turned to face her, placing a kiss on her knuckles as the first notes of Foreigner's 'Hot Blooded' wafted from the speakers.

"Oh god." Brennan groaned, embarrassed at being caught owning the little guilty pleasure. "I don't know where that came from." she lied as she watched Booth begin to strum madly on his air-guitar. She laughed and shook her head at his antics before deciding to join in, singing and dancing along with her boyfriend. They danced and laughed, played imaginary instruments and sang until the song drew to a close. "That was fun." Brennan threw her arms over his shoulders and leaned into his body. "You know, I love you."

"You do, huh. Just because I made you listen to an old classic?"

"No, because you let me be exactly who I want to be. Even if that means I'm someone who likes 80's music and can't dance for anything."

"Aww, baby, I wouldn't want you any other way." he pecked her gently on the lips. "Hungry?"

"Yeah, I am." she said trying to head for the kitchen, only to be stopped by his hand on her arm.

"I'll handle dinner, you find something else for us to listen to." he urged her toward the stereo as headed toward the refrigerator.

Just as she picked up a CD case to inspect, she heard the awful, heart stopping boom of the explosion. "SEELEY!" she screamed as she spun around, taking in the sight before her. She had her cell phone in hand dialing 911 as she reached his still burning body. "Seeley, god, please be okay." she cried out as she patted out the fires on him, tears pouring down her face.

"911, what's the nature of your emergency."

"There's been an explosion, my boyfriend… he's hurt… he's… he's unconscious… you have to hurry… god, please just…" she tried to speak through her tears as the emergency dispatcher informed her that they had traced her phone number and that help was on the way.

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He groaned as he came awake. He couldn't remember ever feeling quite this awful. His pained moan caught the attention of the nervous woman in the room.

"Booth, Seeley, god are you okay… can you hear me… Seeley?" Brennan cried out at his movement as she grabbed his face with both her hands.

"Bones…" he rasped out as he groggily turned toward the sound of her voice.

"Yeah, it's me." she kissed his lips. "I love you." she kissed him again. "I was so scared. I thought… I… it doesn't matter, you're okay. Well, mostly." she added as she ran her hands over his injuries, reassuring herself he was still in one piece.

"What happened? You're not hurt are you?" Booth asked, catching one of her roving hands in his own.

"I'm not hurt, I was just scared. You were going to look in the fridge to get dinner, but… there was a bomb, and you got hurt."

Booth nodded his head as he began to recall the earlier events. "I'm alright, I've been hurt worse than this."

"But I've never been around to see it. I called Cullen and he's sending Kenton over."

"Good, you have to promise me that you're going to stay with him."

"I don't want to leave you here."

"You'll be safer if you stay with Kenton, promise me you will."

"Okay, I promise I'll stay with Kenton."

"Did they gather all the evidence from the explosion?"

"I don't know. I rode with you in the ambulance. But, Cullen said he'd go over and make sure things were taken care of."

Booth moved to sit up in the bed, only to wince at the pain.

"You're hurting. I'm so sorry. It should be me lying in that bed."

"No. I'm glad it was me and not you. Anyway, I'm fine. You know, I… I don't even know if I have to stay here, you know."

"Seeley, you got blown up."

"I've been worse." he said again.

"You have burns, lacerations, two broken ribs, green stick fractures of the clavicle…"

"Okay, I got blown up…" he said in defeat as he tried to reach for the cup of pudding on his food tray. "Can you… can you hand me a pudding?" he asked of her with a pout.

Brennan grabbed one, opened it and handed it over to him.

"Thanks baby." he smiled at her around a spoonful of the hospital issue pudding.

She smiled back at him as she grabbed his x-ray sleeve. "You know, on your x-rays, there's a history of multiple fractures on your feet consistent with beatings. It's a common method of torture in the Middle East, beating the soles of the feet with pipes or hoses."

"Yeah, I know." Booth replied quietly.

"And," she went on, "there are indications of injuries sustained while you were shielding someone…"

"How the hell can you tell something like that?"

The scaring shows," she tried to explain around the lump that had formed in her throat when her suspicions were confirmed, "uhm, it shows that the rib cage spread in such a way that…" she tried to finish.

"Temperance, stop. Yeah, okay. A buddy of mine, he lost his weapon and I, uh, I tried… he didn't make it. Can we not talk about… any of this, not right now. I'll tell you someday, but I just…"

Nodding her head quickly, she leaned in and kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry, I just didn't know."

"It's okay." He replied as they heard a knock on the door.

"Hey, I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" Kenton asked teasingly, noticing their close proximity.

"Nah, I got blown up, we can't do much."

"Yeah I think I heard something about that. You look like crap."

"Yeah, well, a little bit more of this pudding," he joked as he took a bite, "and I'll be just fine, you know." He took a deep breath before he spoke again, "Stick with her."

"Yeah, if you want me to."

"Don't you think I should be consulted?"

"No, not on this, I want you safe." He turned to Kenton, "Keep her close."

"Don't worry. You need anything before we go?"

"I've got my remote, my pudding – I'll be fixed up in no time."

"Alright. You ready Dr. Brennan?"

"Yeah, can you give me…"

"I'll be right outside the door." Kenton said stepping outside.

"Try and be careful." Booth told her as he tugged on her hand to bring her down to him for a goodnight kiss. "Love you."

"Love you, too." she kissed him a second time before backing away towards the door. "I'll see you tomorrow."

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"Hey, you get all patched up?" Booth asked his girlfriend as she walked into his hospital room, a large gauze bandage on her injured forehead.

"Yeah. How about you? Did you break anything else when you escaped the hospital to come rescue me?"

"Nah, I'm almost good as new." he replied, scooting over in his bed to allow room for her to join him. "Get in bed." He gestured to the empty space beside him.

"I don't want to hurt you."

"You won't. Come on, I want you up here."

Brennan carefully climbed on the narrow bed, trying her best not to cause any further damage to Booth.

"Listen, Bones, I'm sorry about sending you with Kenton. If I hadn't…"

"Stop Booth. He was your friend, you had ever reason to trust him. You had no way of knowing he was crooked and trying to kill me."

"Yeah, but I still feel pretty shitty about it. I mean, I'm supposed to be able to read people."

"He had been lying for a long time, he was good at it. It's not your fault. You saved my life."

"That's my job – saving your life." he kissed her. "I'm just glad I got there when I did."

"Me too." she said as she gently curled into his side. "So, did Cullen say what was going to happen with Kenton?"

"Kenton – he's telling us everything, I mean, I guess he figures there's nothing to hide. He's finished anyway. And if he wasn't, I'd kill him for trying to hurt you." he pressed a kiss to her temple. "I don't know what I would have done if he…"

"Don't. I'm fine. You saved my, my very own knight." she kissed his lips. "I love you. Now, let's not talk about it anymore. Why don't we try and get some sleep."

"My nerves are to shot to sleep."

"Okay, how about some TV?"

Booth regarded her with a baffled look, "Did you just recommend turning on the television? I'm shocked, Bones."

"I blame the head injury." she coolly replied as she used the remote to turn on the small TV set, changing channels until finding 'The Grapes of Wrath' for them to watch.

They lay in silence, watching the film, until a thought wormed it's way into Brennan's mind.

"You said Kenton was telling everything. You don't think he'd tell Cullen about us do you?" she questioned, her voice laced with panic as she sat up slightly.

Booth stared wide-eyed at her as the reality of the situation sunk in. Trying his best not to let on that he was concerned, he simply answered, "Nah, I'm sure we completely slipped his mind. Let's just watch the movie, Bones."

"But…"

"Shhh, we'll deal with it if it happens. Now quiet this is the best part." He motioned to the screen as he drew her back down to his embrace.

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Whew, hope you enjoyed. It was my plan to have this up yesterday, but alas, a headache struck and I was useless. Please R&R. Love you guys and thanks for all the reviews and PM's so far. Until next time. Toodles, Nessa : ) 


	12. Chapter Eleven : The Skull in the Desert

OMG!!! Do you all hate me? (hides sheepishly behind laptop to avoid flying projectiles) You must by now. I am so sorry this has been so delayed. The chapter has been finished, I just haven't been able to find the time to type it and do the final proof read, things have been INSANE!!! Again, I am so, so, so sorry. I love you all for the continued support and excitement for this story. So here it is. Again, sorry : (

The Skull in the Desert

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"Booth" he answered his desk phone as he sorted through the stack of paperwork on.

"It's me." Brennan greeted him. "How are things going with Cullen? Is he sill suspicious?"

"It's his job to be suspicious. I've told him Kenton was just trying to drag us down with him..."

"I know, you told me. Which means you lied in a sense." she huffed. "Do you think he'll ever buy it?"

"Well, we have two thing working for us. He knows my opinion of squints, and that I generally prefer blonds..." he commented, knowing it would rile her up.

"Seeley..." she said in a scolding tone, preparing for a lecture. "You had better be joking."

"Relax," he whispered into the receiver, "you know it's you I'm in love with."

"Yeah. And even so, I just really didn't like hearing you say it. I wasn't ever like this before you. It's your fault." she replied quietly. "And I'm nervous about what he'll do if he finds out the truth." she went on after a short silence.

"Hey, even if the worse case scenario happens - if they seperate us - we can still be together, just not in the work sense." Booth tried to reassure his worried girlfriend.

"You say that, that we can still be together, but what if they want to send you across the country or... never mind, I don't even want to think about that." she stopped herself. "I just love what we do, I love catching the bad guys with you. I would hate to loose that."

"Me too, baby, me too." he replied honestly. Taking a nice deep breath he continued decinding to shift things to a lighter topic, "So, what's on the schedule for tonight? Are you up for some further board game education?"

"Actually, that's why I was calling. Angela called me, her boyfriend Chris"

"Kirk." he corrected her.

"Right, Kirk, he seems to have wandered off into the desert. He's been gone for days. And then..." she paused, "someone's left a skull on the sheriffs doorstep. She's freaking out."

"Do they think it's him - the skull - do they think it's Kirk?" he questioned her, sitting up straight in his chair as he was made aware of the severity of the situation.

"I don't know. She said... she said she didn't think it was him, but I know she's upset. She's scared." she stopped to think a moment before she continued. "I think I should go out there. I'm her friend and I think I she needs me to be out there with her, so..." she trailed off.

"Yeah. Okay. Do you want me to come with you?"

"Not yet. Let me see if I can handle it by myself. If I can't, then I'll give you a call."

"You better give me a call anyway. You don't want me to worry do you?" he asked, a smile in his voice.

"I'll call, I promise." she tried to placate him.

"There's my good girl." he chuckled at his own absurd behavior. "So when do you leave?"

"I'm on my way home to get a bag packed. My flight leaves in a little under three hours. Can you meet me at home for a quick goodbye?" she asked, sounding hopeful.

"I'd love to, but Cullen starts asking questions every time I sneak out for lunch, so... I can't. But, call me as soon as you land out there. Love you."

"Okay, love you too. I'll call you hen I get there." she said as she ended the call.

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"Booth." he greeted as he answered his cellphone.

"Angela just laid down for a nap, I don't know how long I have to talk. How far are you from Dulles?" Brennan responded with a question from the other end of the line.

"As far as your office is from Dulles."

"Why are you in my office?"

"I need your, uh, findings on the Richmond case. Listen , Zach, he won't tell me where they are unless you give him permission."

"There's a nine-fifteen flight to Denver, then there's an eleven-thirty-five flight to Sante Fe. You'll have to run to make the connection."

"Whoa, slow down. Tell me what's happened."

"I had to use all my charm just to get the sheriff to let me look at the skull."

"All your charm, huh." he said with a laugh.

"Booth..."

"Sorry, go on."

"He only let me look at the skull for a few minutes. And when I asked to send it back to the lab he told me I didn't have the jurisdiction."

"Babe, he's not wrong."

"Booth, please. There's a very good chance that the skull is from Kirk. I need your help with the sheriff."

"Uh, I... what do you want me to do?"

"I want you to get Federal on his ass."

Booth laughed out loud at her words, "Bones, that's one of the sexiest damn things I've ever heard you say." he replied to her statement, still laughing. "So, I guess I'll see you in the morning, beautiful."

"Really, you'll come out here?"

"Absolutely. I have a hard time sleeping without you anyway. I might as well be on a plane to see you if I'm gonna be up all night. See you tomorrow, love."

"Thank you for doing this. Night Seeley."

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The scorching desert sun shining through the windows wasn't what woke Brennan from her sleep. It was the noise her boyfriend made as he entered the small cabin.

"Hey." he and Angela greeted each other with a hug. "You know people in the desert don't have actual addresses, what's up with that?"

"Booth, you made it." Brennan said as she stretched to wake herself up.

"Yeah," he grinned at the sight of her all rumpled from sleep, "you know, I'm touring the hotest places in the universe. Next stop - here you go -" he tossed his duffel bag on top of Brennan where she still lay in bed, "hell."

"I'm not really awake yet." she complained as she tossed the bag right onto the floor.

"You got me all the way ouy here, Bones, get your butt out of bed." he replied, leaving no room for her to argue. "Now, last night before I left, I used my FBI powers to force the sheriff to, uh, send the skull back to the Jeffersonian. Talked to him this morning, you know, whoa, seems a little resentful." he commented as he handed Angela and then Brennan two of the cups of coffee he had brought with him.

"What time is it?" Brennan asked, reaching for her watch where it lay on the side table beside the hide-a-bed.

"Let's go, drink that on the way." he motioned to her coffee.

"On the way where?"

"You know, to go check out the model-guide-whatever's place."

"Dani." Angela added, giving Booth the name of her missing friend. "Can I come with you?"

"Uh, you know, we can ask tougher questions if you're not there."

Angela solemnly nodded her head in understanding.

"Okay, well, wait outside while I get dressed." Brennan told Booth, for appearances sake only, as she got ready to climb out of bed.

"No, uh uh, no way," he mock laughed, "did you miss the comment about the hottest places in the universe - I wasn't joking. I'm staying right here in the air conditioning. Besides - all these windows -" he motioned around the window lined room, "it's not like I wouldn't be able to see you change if I was outside. I can stand right here, close my eyes, eat my donut - it's the best I can do." he said, making a show of shutting his eyes tight and eating his breakfast, even though he still stood facing her.

"Fine, but no peeking." she said as she climbed out of bed.

"I'm gonna hop in the shower." Angela stood from her seat at the foot of the bed. "I'll see you guys when you get back." she called out over her shoulder as she disappeared into the only bathroom.

Booth waited until he heard the shower running before opening his eyes.

"What, I don't get a hello kiss?" he smirked as a topless Brennan turned while putting on her bra.

"Hey, you said no peeking." she replied, noticing how his eyes were focused not on her face but about twelve inches lower. "Uhm, Seeley." she finally got his attention by pulling her bra the rest of the way on.

"Sorry, I missed these." he said as he stepped closer to her, his large hands cupping her lace clad breast before dropping to her exposed midsection. "And I kind of have a confession to make, my eyes were never really closed."

"I had a feeling they might not be, seeing as you seemed to follow my every move." she stretched up to meet his lips in an amorous kiss, slanting her mouth against his open one, her tongue slipping inside, running over his teeth and gums before tangling with his own. "Thank you for coming out here." she spoke as she parted her lips from his only by a hairsbreadth.

"I'll do anything you ask me to" he said, moving one of his legs between her own, bringing his burgeoning errection in contact with her hip.

"My knight." she teased before pushing away from him. "I thought we needed to get going." she backed away.

"_You_ get me going..." he said trying to move toward her again.

"Seeley," she repremanded, "we have a murder to investigate." she said pulling on her blue jeans, followed by a white cotton blouse. "No sex right now."

"You know what, Bones, you're a tease." he huffed as he grabbed another donut and tore into it as he watched her pull on her boots.

"Stop pouting and let's go do what we do best." she held out her hand for him to take.

"So we _can_ have sex?" he teasesd, knowing she was referring to investigating, as he took her hand and pulled the cabin door closed behind them as they left.

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"Where's Booth?" Angela asked as Brennan came to sit beside her on the couch, wearing her robe and combing through her tangled red hair.

"He's taking his turn in the shower." she replied, scooting off the front edge of the sofa to sit by her friend on the floor. "Do you need to talk?"

Angela shrugged her shoulders and shook her head, "Three weeks a year, I mean, fifteen weeks in total. You think 'that's crazy'."

"No. It's not typical, that's for sure." she paused. "But if he was yours, one hundred percent yours, for... three weeks a year... that's... it's more than some people ever have." she spoke soothingly to her tearful friend.

"Kirk's photographs show the world as a more beautiful place than it is. A better place. He made me feel like... that it was my real home, that I belonged there... with him. He's the guy I compare all other guys to." she gave her friend a watery smile. "Now he's gone and I... I feel like I can't even take a breath." she tried her best to explain. Glancing down at the picture she held in her hands, she went on, "Do you think it's possible that Dani's still out there? Could she still be alive?"

Brennan shook her head side-to-side, "I don't know. There's no crime scene, and... we're not even sure where the rest of Kirk's remains are."

"Well, I wanna help you look for her tomorrow."

"You sure?"

Angela hesitated before answering, "Yeah, Dani was our friend. I have to help find her. Please?"

Brennan observed her friend for a moment before she spoke, "Okay, I'll tell Booth you want to come along." she said as she heard the shower cut off in the bathroom.

"We're leaning on his bed." Angela spoke of the small couch that was serving as Booth's temporary bed. "I guess I'll go to bed for the night. Wake me up in time to get dressed." she stood from her spot on the floor. "Night sweetie."

"Night Ange." Brennan watched her friend as she headed off to the master bedroom and shut the door.

She sat quietly, leaning against the couch for several minutes, until Booth stepped out of the bathroom clad in only a pair of track pants, slung low on his hips.

"Ange go to bed?" he asked as he towel dried his hair.

"Yeah. She says she wants to go with us tomorrow to help look for Dani." Brennan said as she stood from her spot on the floor.

"I don't know if that's a good idea. What if we find her friend's body? I don't know if Angela could handle that."

"I know, but she seems pretty adamant about joining us. You know if it was me and someone I knew was missing I'd never let you go off to search without me."

Booth only nodded in reply, knowing she was right about the hypothetical situation.

"And beside," Brennan went on, "she's done very well dealing with all of this so far. I mean... Kirk..." she spoke quietly as her eyes pooled with tears, "... she said she knew it was him and she's remained very reational. If you had..." she trailed off as her tears cut a path down her cheek.

"Shhh." Booth soothed her, drawing her into his arms. "It's all right, I know what you mean." he smiled softly at her, using his thumbs to wipe the tears froms her face.

"I just... if she wants to go do this... maybe she needs to, okay?"

"Yeah, okay. She can come along, but only if you dry up the tears, deal?" he asked, using his index finger to turn her gaze up to meet his own.

She sgreed with a nod, squaring her shoulders and taking a few good deep breaths.

"That's better. I hate it when my girl cries." he kissed her softly on the lips. "Now, how 'bout we get you tucked in your bed."

"We need to fix your pallet on the couch, first." she reminded him.

"A pillow and a blanket are about all I'm gonna be able to do to make it comfortable." he shrugged as he ushered her to the pullout bed.

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"Wha..." Brennan sleepily grumbled as she felt the bed she was sleeping on dip and creak under added weight. "Seeley, what're you doing?" she asked as she watched her boyfriend crawl under the covers with her.

"I'm positive that couch I was on doubles as a tourture device." he said by way of an explaination as he lay back on the pillows. "Not very comfy. Besides," he threw one arm over her body and drew her closer to him, "you don't need the whole bed to yourself."

"You can't stay in the bed, Angela will start to get ideas." she huffed as she propped herself on her elbows, looking over her shoulder at him, trying unsucessfully to get him to leave the bed.

"What - ideas that we might be sleeping together, that we're a couple - she wouldn't be wrong." he replied as he began tugging on the straps of her tank top before his hand moved underneath the thin material to palm her breast.

"Booth, stop!" she pulled his hand from inside her top. "We can't do this here, Ange is just in the other room, she could walk in on us."

"Sure we can," Booth said urging her onto her back as he leaned over her, "you just have to be quiet." he whispered huskily into her ear before nipping at her with his teeth. His hand moved down to her waist where he worked it beneath the edge of her top, slowly pushing it upwards as he moved back up to her chest, this time capturing a nipple between his thumb and index finger. Brennan gasped at his actions, inticing him to ask, "Do you think you can be quiet, Temperance?" as he continued to toy with the sensitive bud.

Brennan moaned at his minstrations and the feelings he was evoking from her body, rolling her head to the side to face him. "I don't know if I'm the one we should worry about. I seen to recall times when you've been pretty vocal durring sex."

"Mmhmm, I remember. It's usually when you wrap your pretty little lips around my cock and nearly suck the life out of me." he spoke longingly, calling to mind the feel of what he was envisioning, as he bit at the lobe of her ear. "Well, you know, maybe not life, but you do suck something out of me, don't you ?" he teased her verbally as he removed his hands from her breast and tore her tank top from her body.

"I'd say 'life' is a fitting term for your semen." she said using her educational voice. "The purpose of semen is after all the creation of life, the procreation of the species, so... oooh... " she moaned as he briefly latched his mouth onto her breast, the one not being fondled by his skilled fingers.

"Bones," he spoke, her nipple slipping from his lips with an audible 'pop', "what's the rule about squint speak when we're making love?"

"Not allowed." she quickly answered. "I still don't think this is a good idea. Angela might hear, the bed might squeak. She just lost her boyfriend..."

"Then she of all people should appreciate how important it is to enjoy every minute we possibly can with the people we love." he reasoned with her.

"You just really want to get laid."

"Yeah, that too." he added, claiming her mouth in a passionate kiss. Nipping her bottom lip with his teeth, slanting his head to the side, he ran his tongue along her teeth, begging entrance to the haven of her mouth. Her teeth parted, her tongue slipping out to meet his, teasing, playfully caressing. "Love you." he breathed against her parted lips.

"I think," she returned the kiss, "I might love you more." she laughed sweetly into his mouth.

"Not possible." he kissed her again, this time a gentle peck, before pulling back and removing his own shirt. "Want you so much, Tempe. I've been so hot for you since you called me last night..." another kiss, "... told me to come get federal..." and another, "... you're so hot... drive me crazy, baby..."

"Not 'baby', say my name. 'Baby' makes me think you can't remember who I am." she commented petulently.

"I know who I'm with, Temperance, I know who I love. I've told you 'baby' is just a affectionate term that sometimes slips out."

"Okay fine. You should just be careful not to let it slip out while we're in front of anyone."

"Deal. Are we done talking now? I'd really like to get to the sex portion of the evening if you don't mind."

"I'm done protesting. Get these clothes off me and you boxers out of the way. I want you inside of me. Just make sure you're very quiet. I don't want Angela wandering in mid coitus and getting a free show."

"Yes ma'am." he said, shimmying out of his boxers before he helped her remove her sleep pants and panties.

When they both, at last, were divested of their clothing, Booth reached for her as he rolled onto his back, grabbing her by the hips and guiding her atop his body.

Brennan, from her posistion stradling his upper thighs, grinned down at him as she took hold of his errection with both hands and began running them alternately up his length. "So, you're not going to make any noise, right?"

"Unnngh! Yeah, as long as you stop doing that." he said stilling her hands, removing them from off of him. "That's why you're on top. You can do all the moving and it'll make less noises than if I were the one on top." he explained. "So," he went on, putting his hands on her hips, "climb on up." he smirked, lifting her up and posistioning her opening over the tip of his shaft. "Quiet." he reiterated as he quickly drew her down, entering her fully with one long movement.

"Ah!" she gasped out loudly, her head lolling back.

"You're in the drivers seat, Temperance - drive!"

"I don't..."

"Move!" he said through clenched teeth as he bucked his hips up into her.

Using her legs, she drew herself up, slowly, almost all of the way off of him, before she slid back down just as painstakingly slow. "Good?"

"Oh, god, yeah..." he assisted her movements with his large hands. "How 'bout you, good?"

She nodded distractedly, "More."

" 'More', huh. Alright, lean back, put your hands on the bed to support yourself." he urged.

Brennan did as he suggested, bracing her hands near his knees as she again took up the movement with her lower body, nearly shrieking as the altered angle caused his cock to drag across her g-spot.

"Shh, shh, quiet." he covered her mouth with one hand as the other still guided her motions. "Quiet, 'kay?" he asked, his hand still over her mouth, waiting for her to respond before he would remove it. At her nod of understanding, he went to lift his hand from her lips, only to have her catch the flesh of his middle finger between her teeth. "I guess... unghh... will leave my hand... oh christ, squeeze me baby... where it is, huh..." he spoke in broken english through his pleasured moans and groans. "Love you." he murmured moving his hand from her hip up to fondle her breast.

"I love you, too." she replied, unlatching her teeth from his finger as her rhythm picked up speed. "Love you... love you... love you... love you..." was her mantra as her pleasure neared it's peak.

"Come here." he pulled her down to lay atop him. "I wanna watch your face when you come." he said moving his hands back to her hips. "Quiet now." he whispered as he felt her begin to quake with her orgasm. When he felt himself about to release, he met her lips with his to muffle any souond they made.

Parting her lips from his, Brennan rolled off to the side, her leg still thrown over him as they caught their breath.

"You alright?" he asked after a few moments.

"Uh huh." she snugled into his side and kissed the shoulder she rested on. "But you have to go back to your couch."

"That's harsh. We just made love and you're kicking me out of bed." he whined, turning his face toward her so she could see his pout. "It's uncomfortable over there, and I'd very much prefer to just stay here with you."

"But if you stay, Ange might actually catch us in the morning. That would be bad. I thought we agreed to be careful, and if you stay, we wont be being careful."

"How about a deal. I'll set the alarm on my phone four five-fourty-five, when it goes off, I'll crawl back to the couch."

She hesitated, peering up at his face from where she lay, before she offered a reply, "Okay, but you have to remember to move. And if she finds us and starts squealing, you have to deal with her." she gave into his request, curling back up to his body and settling in for sleep. "Night Seeley."

"Night beautiful."

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"Do you think she'll be alright?" Brennan asked Booth after Angela had fallen asleep beside them where they sat on the plane back home to D.C.

"She's a strong woman, beautiful, intelligent, independant. She'll fall in love again and maybe this next time - after what's happened - maybe she'll be more open to it." he answered with a shrug. "Anyway, why are you asking me? She's supposed to be your best friend..."

"Because, I'm a head a person and you're a heart person." she replied plainly.

He regarded her silently for a moment before speaking, "I'd say that's a good thing. We balance each other out, you know."

"It's a very good thing." she smiled as he stole a kiss.

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Sorry there wasn't more of the episode in there. This, as I think I mentioned, was the one that got me started on the whole story. So I hope you like it. Next up is one I'm so excited about... The Man in the Morgue (yippie)

Please R&R, let me hear from you. Love ya, Nessa


	13. Chapter Twelve : The Man in the Morgue

Talk about a writers strike, I SUCK – I know it. I apologize from the bottom of my very sorry heart. But with all this crap going on in Hollywood and us very possibly not getting our full season of Bones (I know the writers totally deserve their money too) I thought that if we don't get to writing (myself included) we'll have nothing to entertain us during new episode drought. So I got up off my ass (major case of writers block, let me tell you) and I got cracking on my beast of a story.

I just wanna say thanks so much to everyone who has either added me or this story to their update list, or who has reviewed. I totally appreciate all the support. It means so much to know that people really like this little tale.

So here we go:

The Man in the Morgue

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"You've been working 48 hours straight." Dr. Legiere spoke to Brennan over the remains of John Doe 361 as she examined the body. "You need the evening off."

"I only have one vacation day left." she replied.

"What're you doing penance for FEMA? Why don't you let me cook you dinner tonight?"

"I don't know. I have a feeling my boyfriend wouldn't like the idea of it." she said seeming very reluctant.

"Come on – he has nothing to worry about. I'm a southern gentleman ma'am. Your honor will be respected."

"Yeah." Sam Potter, the orderly, said in a disbelieving tone as he wheeled the corpse to x-ray.

"Tell you what, Graham," she spoke as she pulled off her gloves, "we'll see what the x-rays tell us about this one and then, maybe we'll get a bite to eat." she finished, tossing her gloves into the medical waste bin.

Her next conscious thought was of waking up in the floor of her hotel bathroom, covered in blood and bruises.

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"Yea… uhm… this… this is Dr. Brennan…" she answered the ringing phone as she stumbled into the main part of her room.

"Yes, Dr. Brennan, we had to let the shuttle leave for the airport without you. I'm sorry. We can get you a ride to the airport if you…"

"No… uhm… I don't… I think I need an ambulance…"

"Dr. Brennan, are you alright?" the receptionist asked, her voice full of worry.

"I don't know… I can't remember…"

"I'll call for an ambulance and I'll have someone right up there to wait with you." the woman said frantically as she disconnected.

Brennan hung up the phone and reached for her cell phone. Flipping it open, she dialed a familiar number and waited for her boyfriend to pick up.

"Hey gorgeous," he answered the phone, knowing it was her calling, "I was wondering when I was gonna hear from you. I expected a call yesterday but I figured you were up to your eyeballs in bones and forgot all about me." Booth rambled on, happy to finally hear from her.

"Seeley…" she began, "I think you need to come down here. I can't remember anything from the last day and a half, and I…"

"What do you mean you can't remember?" he asked, his voice heavy with panic.

"I just… I don't know, and I… you need to come down here…" she replied as she heard a knock at the door.

"Temperance, please... you're scaring me…"

"Can you call me when you get here." she said distractedly as she staggered to her door and pulled it open.

"Dr. Brennan, my god, you look terrible. I think you should lie down until the ambulance arrives." the receptionist, the same one she had spoken to only moments before, said as she ushered the injured doctor back into the room.

"Did she say _ambulance_?" Booth asked as his voice raised a level in volume.

"What?" she spoke back into the phone, "Oh, yeah, I'll give you a call when I find out where they're taking me." she finished as a wave of dizziness overcame her. "I've gotta go, I'll call you soon." she hung up as she was coaxed onto the bed by the kindly receptionist, ignoring Booth's shouts of protest over her doing so.

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"Looks like someone stole your earring." the doctor spoke to her as he pressed the band-aid onto her torn lobe. "Ripped it right out of the lobe."

"I don't know what happened to me."

"It's a tough town." he went on, "We don't have that many cops anymore and, uh, they were never that good to begin with." he said as Detective Harding stuck her head into the examination room.

"You shouldn't insult the ones that stuck around." she spoke to the doctor before turning her attention to Brennan, "I've got a federal agent out here acting a fool, does he by chance belong to you?"

"Booth – he made it. Yes, let him in, please."

Detective Harding opened the door back up and called out, "Agent Booth, you can come on in."

"Bones, you okay?" he asked worriedly, rushing to her side.

"The doctor was just finishing checking me. I requested a rape kit." she informed Booth, his face going pale at her words.

"No sign of sexual activity, forced or otherwise." the doctor added, watching the relief spread over Booth's features.

"Do you remember anything?" Booth asked her, running his hands distractedly over her back.

She sighed before replying, "The tray falling over."

Looking to the doctor, he asked, "Why can't she remember anything?"

"Well, it could be the head injury?" he shrugged.

"Hairline stress fracture," she went on explaining, "on my right distal radius, concussion, slight fever, torn earlobe. I lost one of my favorite earrings." she added, showing him the one she had left.

"You're worried about an earring? You should really be worried about losing a whole day."

"I know, it's stupid, but these earrings were my mothers." she emphasized trying to get her point across.

Booth offered her a sympathetic look as the doctor began to speak to them again.

"Amnesia caused by any traumatic event, injury or drug, can erase memories before the event, not just after." he offered by way of an explanation as he went about filling out her chart.

"Great, we'll just wait for a tox screen." Booth snapped, irritated.

"It's gonna be at least 24 hours."

Booth's ire increased at hearing this, "24 hours?"

"Well most of the labs in the area were destroyed by the hurricane."

"We'll find out what happened. I need to get blood samples on this clothing." Detective Harding spoke to the doctor of Brennan's bloodstained clothes. "Maybe we'll get lucky and all the blood won't be yours." she spoke to Brennan, then turning to Booth, "You just make sure to take care of your _partner_." she said with a smirk.

Booth glared at her before returning his full attention to Brennan, lifting her chin with his index finger so he could more thoroughly examine her injured face.

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"Alright, so what's the last thing you do remember?" Booth questioned her as they sat together in the small cajun restaurant, his larger hand enfolding her smaller one in its grasp atop the tablecloth.

"I told you," she replied a little testily, "Graham, Dr. Legiere, knocked over a tray of surgical instruments."

"I want to talk to Legiere."

"We must've been about to examine a body." she reasoned on the matter as Peter, the chef of the restaurant, walked over to their table.

"Dr. Brennan, I thought you were leaving today?"

"Peter, this is my work partner and boyfriend, Seeley Booth."

The men shake hands as Peter noticed the cuts and bruises on her face, "My god, what happened to you?"

"I'm not certain, but the bruising suggests Tuesday night."

"After you left here?"

"I was here Tuesday?"

"What time?" Booth joined the discussion.

"In at 8:00, left at 9:00. Don't you remember? You had dinner with Sam Potter."

At Peter's words her memory was jarred, helping her recall bits and pieces of the evening in question.

"Bones?" he tried to get her attention, frightened by the dazed look on her face. "Bones!"

"We have to go back to the morgue, talk to Sam." she said, hurrying from the building, Booth hot on her heels.

"Wait a minute, slow down." he chased her. "Do you mind telling me what the hell is going on?" he yelled.

"I don't know, I can't remember." she snapped back.

"You obviously remember something, I'd like to know what. I mean I think I've done we'll not flying off the handle about all of this so far. I didn't damage anything when we had to talk about the," his voice dropped to a whisper, "rape kit," and escalated again as he went on, "but here you are on a supposed working vacation -whatever the hell that is- and here you are going out to dinner with other men on a night you can't even remember now?"

"I know you're upset, Seeley, I am too." said as if talking to a very small, very dim child. "But, I don't need you yelling at me on top of everything else. So if you'll please stop it, I'll tell you what I think I remember, alright?" she fussed at him, and then waited patiently for his reply.

He took a few calming breaths before he answered her, "Fine, you're right. It's not helping. I know. I'm sorry. Can you please tell me now?"

With a nod she spoke, "I remember having dinner with Sam. He's an orderly from the morgue, he might have some idea what happened to me. I wanted to get over there before his shift ends. Can we go now?"

"Yeah, but we still need to grab you some food." he entered the rented SUV.

"After we talk to Sam, I want to see what we can find out." she said climbing into the passenger side. Seeing the frown still marring Booth's handsome face she leaned across the center console and turned his face to hers for a kiss. "I love you, okay. Even when you make me angry, even when we fight and I yell, I still love you." She knew it had been the right thing to say when his charm smile lit up his face.

"Love you, too. That's why I get a little crazy sometimes, you know… 'cause I love you as much as I do." he admitted as he started the car.

"I know." she accepted his reasoning with a smile of her own, taking his hand with hers and holding it in her lap as he drove.

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"I tried to get in touch with him." Booth spoke of Legiere as they approached his home.

"I called back down to the morgue and talked to Sam. He said Graham was scheduled to be out in the field the rest of the week." she replied as she rang the old fashioned pull-style door bell.

"He's not gonna answer his door, just like he didn't answer his phone." Booth grumbled as he began peering in the windows along the front of the house.

Brennan glared at him indignantly as she crossed her arms beneath her chest. "Well then." she said absently, reaching out and turning the door knob. "It's open." she said over her shoulder as she entered the house.

"Bones! you can't just go barging in." Booth protested, but followed her inside none the less.

"Why not? The door was unlocked, I didn't force my way inside." she reasoned. "Graham, it's Temperance." she shouted into the house.

"What if he's not here?"

"He's probably asleep. He's been working nights. Graham! Graham!" she shouted out again before looking back over her shoulder at Booth, "I think he invited me to dinner that night… or drinks. I can't remember."

"How many men do you think you went out with on Tuesday, exactly, hmm?" he asked with a growl, his voice edged with anger.

"What? Booth, stop. It's not how you're making it sound. My dinner with Sam was professional. I'm sure if I came over here it was only as a coworker."

"Mmhmm. Do you wanna know what I think, I think this jackass, Graham, 'roofied' you."

" 'Roofied'?"

"Date rape." he explained through clenched teeth.

"Hey." Brennan said, drawing his eyes to hers as she cupped his jaw in her hands. "Just stop, Seeley. Calm down. You know that didn't happen. The doctor checked, remember."

"Doesn't mean he didn't try it and you just kicked his ass. And now he's off licking his wounds." he hypothesized. At Brennan's less than amused look he dropped it. "Yeah… okay." he took a deep breath. "We need to look around." he kissed the inside of her wrist where it rested close to his mouth, and stepped back, letting her hands drop from his face. "We need to ask him about the black gum root."

"I'm sure he bought it to look into its medicinal qualities."

"Yeah because we all know how effective that is." he deadpanned as he glanced into the living room. "Bones." he drew her attention to the large mirror draped in black cloth.

When she caught sight of it, she froze. Images flashed through her mind at a frantic pace, before she turned and rushed up the stairs.

"Here we go again." he mumbled. "Bones." he called out, giving chase. "You okay?" he questioned when he found her stationary at the top of the stairs, wide eyed and peering down the hallway before her.

"Something bad happened here." she whispered. "And I got away."

Booth shot her a concerned look before heading on down the hall to the closed bedroom door, Brennan following closely behind, glancing over his shoulder. With his right hand inside his jacket, resting on his handgun, his left pushed open the bedroom door. In the partially cloth covered mirror on the wall, the reflection of Graham Legiere's mutilated body is visible.

"Oh yeah, something bad." Booth said, taking in the scene before them. "I'm gonna call it in. Why don't we go back downstairs until the cops show up." he insist as he ushers a very docile Brennan back out of the bloody room.

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"Are you tired, you wanna get ready for bed?" Booth asked Brennan as he opened the hotel room door.

"Yeah, bed sounds good." she said quietly as she tried unsuccessfully to unbutton her jacket. She tried again, making a disgruntled little noise when her second attempt did not prove any more successful than the first.

"What's the matter baby, need help?" he asked as he shrugged off his own coat and turned to face her.

"My wrist, I can't… it hurts." she whined.

"Let me." he placed a soft peck on her lips as his fingers set to work removing her clothes. "I love taking care of my girl." Having unbuttoned her jacket he pushed the garment back off her shoulders, letting it pool to the floor. He reached for the hem of her top, only to be stopped by her left hand stilling his movements.

"I can't get it from here, I think."

"I'm sure you can, Bones, but I want to take care of you. I want to be with you. Let me, please?" he pleaded, his dark eyes trying to melt any resistance she still felt.

"Look at me, I'm a mess. How could you possibly want me? I look awful."

"You're beautiful." he pulled her shirt over her head. "I was so scared when you called me, I don't … I don't know what I would have done if …" he couldn't bring himself to finish the thought, but instead set to kissing every inch of her exposed upper body. "Love you so much." he murmured into the hollow between her breast as his hands wound around behind her to unclasp her bra.

"I love you, too." she replied automatically as her uninjured left hand began to tug at his vintage T. "Take it off."

"What?" he asked distractedly as he pulled the bra cups from her breast and latched his mouth onto the nearest exposed nipple.

"Take your clothes off. I want you. _Now_!" she told him as she pulled herself away and worked diligently on undoing her pants, finally succeeding.

She climbed onto the bed, clad only in her simple cotton panties, and proceeded to shove all the decorative pillows from the bed. Turning around, she caught sight of Booth pushing his boxers off his hips as he too climbed on the bed.

"Fast enough?" he grinned as he walked up to her on his knees, mirroring her pose, before he sought her mouth with his own. "On your back, Bones." he said, hooking his hands behind her knees and flipping her body underneath him.

"Feeling aggressive tonight, Booth?" she questioned with a small laugh as he drew her panties over her hips and down her legs, flinging them over his shoulder.

He shot her a libidinous look as he pushed her thighs apart, "I want a taste." And with a glance at her exposed sex, he sank down between the cradle of her hips, attaching his mouth to her body, eager to please.

"Oh _GOD_!" she shouted as his fingers joined his mouth in pleasing her, pumping inside her, as her hips shot up at random off the bed in jerk motions. "_Fuck_!" she shrieked, his tongue beating a maddening rhythm on her clit while his fingers stroked her g-spot till she shook with her powerful release. "Stop… stop, please… I can't…" she begged when he kept up his ministrations, trying to drag out her aftershocks.

"Had enough?" he asked with a smug grin as he pulled back, wiping his face with the back of his hand.

"Ughhh." she moaned, her head lolling lazily on her pillow.

"I like making you lose it like that, being in control when you're so out of control. I like to know that you're mine."

"I don't belong to anyone, Boo…" she began her feminist protest.

"Shut up, Temperance." he silenced her with a forceful forward thrust, seating himself within her as he simultaneously attacked her lips. "I belong inside you, and you..." he gasped as he quickly withdrew and plunged back in again, "… were made to fit me." he said with confidence, knowing he would get further arguments from her so long as he kept moving in that certain way she liked. "Love you."

"Ah… uhn, god… Seeley… love… you…" she gasped between thrusts, her hands clutching onto his biceps, her nails leaving crescents in his flesh.

"You're mine, Tempe… you're mine…" he breathed into her mouth between hungry kisses. "Say it."

"What?" she questioned, lust clouding her brain, "Say what?"

"You're mine…" thrust in, quick withdrawal, "… say it…" again, in, then out, "… say you're mine or I stop." in, out.

"I won't. And you wouldn't dare." she challenged as he slowed down his frantic movements. "You want it as bad as I do. And besides, I've already come once."

"You don't think I'll hold out on you – wanna bet." he withdrew until only the tip of his sex remained within her, just enough to taunt her, before his hands settled on her hips stilling her movement.

"Booth!"

"Bones!" he fired back. "Just say it, and I'll give us both what we want."

"_Asshole_!" she cursed at him.

"That's not really what I want, but if you're offering I guess we can give it a try." he smirked, looking tempted.

"No!" Brennan squirmed, eyes widening at the implication. "Damn it, Booth. Stupid, alpha male…" she muttered to herself, then louder she spoke, "The idea of ownership is incredibly sexist and…"

"Bones," he slapped a hand over her mouth, teasing her with shallow movements of his cock, "You have complete ownership over me… can you just… humor me, huh?"

She smiled up at him at his words, and then saucily replied, "I own you, huh? I like the sound of that. Is this mine then?" she asked, running her fingers over the length of him not buried inside of her.

"Temperance!"

"Fine, yes – I'm yours, Seeley. All yours. Now give me what I want." she sought his mouth, her tongue dueling with his. "I mean, it's mine anyway, right?" she queried, pitching her pelvis up into his.

"Overbearing female." he grumbled as he resumed his inward and outward motions. "Can't you at least let me have my delusions that I'm the man in this relationship, huh?"

"I'm sorry I ruined your fun." she apologized, sinking her fingers in his dark locks. "I'll be all docile from here on I promise."

" 'Docile', christ!" he groaned his hips jerking a bit, falling out of sync with hers. "Love the way you feel around me."

"The longer their movements continued, the more their rhythm faltered. The meeting of their pelvic bones every time they fully became one was sending sparks of pleasure through Brennan's body, her already sensitive clitoris being manipulated by the repeated grinding contact.

"Uhn… uh… _aaaaaaAAA_!" she arched back off the bed as she came hard, violent tremors wracking her frame.

"God… that's so… hot… _FUCK_!" Booth roared out his own orgasm as the spasms from her body strangled his seed from his cock. "God that felt good." he laughed.

Brennan let out a mirthful laugh at his words.

"Wow – that- feels awesome." he commented about her laughter.

"Awesome, huh," she arched her brow at him, "I think I fried your brain."

"Yeah." he said absently as he collapsed fully on top of her, his head falling to rest in the crook of her neck.

"Sleepy?"

"Yup." he kissed the skin beneath his lips. "But," he pushed himself up off of her, pulled out, and climbed off the bed, "let's get cleaned up and get ready for bed." he reached out a hand and pulled her up off the bed.

"Uuunn, I was comfortable." she complained as he led her into the bathroom and turned on the shower full blast.

"We'll get comfy again after our shower." he promised, ushering her under the spray.

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"Booth," Brennan shouted to him as she pulled on her turquoise chemise, "you're phone is ringing."

"See who it is." he said peeking out from the en-suite bathroom, a mouthful of toothpaste and toothbrush in hand.

A smile lit up her face at the name on the caller id. "It's Parker." she informed him before flipping open the phone. "Is this my boyfriend calling?" she spoke into the phone, a grin still on her face.

"Siwwy Tempe, Daddy's your boyfriend." he giggled at her antics. "You ansawd Daddy's phone."

"I know. You're Daddy was just brushing his teeth, so I got to talk to you when you called." she told the five year old as Booth came into the room, a towel wrapped around his hips, and walked to his suitcase to pull on some lounge pants. "Did you have a good day today?"

"Uhuh. How 'bout you, Tempe, are you an' Daddy havin' fun on your 'cation?"

"Uhm," she paused, thinking of how to reply, "You're Daddy and I always have fun."

"That's for sure." Booth rumbled in her ear as he stepped up behind her, reaching up to take the phone.

"Well, your Daddy's ready to talk to you now, Parker. Thanks for talking with me. I'll see you soon, okay bub?"

"Otay. Nite, Tempe. Luf you."

Brennan paused, her wide eyes meeting Booth's before she found the courage to reply, "I love you, too, Parker. Goodnight." she said handing the phone over to an astonished Booth.

In a bit of a daze, she crawled into the bed, and curled up to her pillow to wait for Booth to finish with his son. Sliding one arm under her pillow, her hand encountered something out of place. She pushed herself up and pulled the pillow away, revealing another mojo bag.

"Booth." she spoke, clearly distressed. Catching his eye she held the small pouch up in her hand for him to see.

"Uh, bub, I've gotta get off the phone for right now… I'll talk to you tomorrow… 'kay, Park, love you… bye." he said hanging up, a worried look crossing his handsome face. "Is it another voodoo dumpling?" he questioned, coming to sit beside her on the bed.

"It's some kind of flesh. And these are seashells. And leather, I think." she rifled through the pouch.

"Is that a human tooth?"

"Yes, a canine." she replied just as the hotel room door burst open and in poured Detective Harding followed by several policemen, guns drawn and trained on Brennan.

Booth, up off the bed as soon as the door opened, had his own gun drawn and aimed at Detective Harding.

"Put down your weapon, Agent Booth." Harding commanded.

"Put down your weapon, there's no threat from us." Booth counters, not backing down.

"You're holding a gun on me." the detective replied.

"Yeah, well, my finger here is not on the trigger. It's the best I can do under the circumstances."

"Holster your weapons." she tells the officers as she holstered her own.

Booth, seeing this, drops his gun down to his side.

"I'm here to arrest Dr. Brennan for the murder of Graham Legiere."

"Whoa, that's not gonna happen." Booth scoffed at her.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure it is, 'partner'." she says, mocking the intimacy of the situation they barged in on between the so called partners. "Tell me, do FBI partners often share the same bed?"

Booth growled, about to say something when Brennan's voice held him back.

"Booth, just… let it go. We have to figure out what's going on and if I'm in jail, you need to check with Sam to see if this…" she motioned to the bag in her hand before being cut off by Booth.

"Bones, not now. You need to be quiet." he spoke through clenched teeth.

"That's good advice because anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law." she rattled off just before catching sight of the mojo bag in Brennan's hand. "What is that?"

"I… I found it under my pillow." she said, handing it right over, dropping it into an open evidence bag."

"Bones, what part of be quiet don't you understand. You just couldn't keep your mouth shut, could you." he huffed, annoyed. "What's the probable cause?" he asked Harding.

"Traces of Dr. Brennan's blood in Legiere's home. Legiere's blood on her clothes from the clinic."

"Is that all?"

"All I'm prepared to share with the federal government. Now, please, step away from my collar."

"I'm afraid I can't let that happen."

"Booth, stop, I'm going with them. Just find a way to figure it out, to get to the bottom of it. Brennan said as she stepped around him, toward Harding.

"Bones! Geez!" he exclaimed, slapping himself in the forehead in exasperation.

"Dr. Brennan, why don't you get on some clothes and then we'll head down to the station." Harding nodded at her nightgown. "You men wait in the hall." she told the officers, dismissing them for the time being.

"Thanks." she said reaching for a change of clothes out of her suitcase as she shot a look at her irritated boyfriend.

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"What're you thinking about, baby?" Booth asked at the faraway look on Brennan's face after the waiter brought their food.

"Hmm…" she looked up, coming out of her thoughts, "I was just… how did I get away? You know, Graham got killed, I got away. How did I do that?"

"You know, Bones, all those things Carolyn mentioned, you know, the – the martial arts, the shooting, the, uh, the assaults – it's just, you're just the type of woman that fights. Maybe they didn't expect it. Maybe they thought some kind of magic could hold you." he reasoned with her as he tucked into his meal.

"I don't believe in magic."

"Exactly. You're a surprising woman. Sometimes that's enough for getting away." he said with pride and a smirk.

"Why are you always so nice to me, especially when I cause you so much trouble?" she smiled at him across the small table.

"Maybe I like trouble." he wagged his brows at her. "And being nice to you gets me much better results with you than the other methods I've tried." he teased, leaning into her personal space.

"Other methods, huh." she leaned forward to meet his lips with her own in a sweet kiss.

"I walk in on something?" Carolyn broke up the kiss, tossing a folder on the table as she took a seat. "Beignet and a café." she called out to the waiter as she glances from a guilty looking Brennan to a grinning Booth.

"It's not what…" she started.

"Honey, please, it's exactly what I think it is." Carolyn cut her off. "I knew the score as soon as Seeley called me in the middle of the night to come down here from D.C. and help him get his '_partner_' out of jail. I'm a pretty big favor for just a partner, if you know what I mean."

At Brennan's worried, Booth spoke up, "Look, Carolyn, Bones is just upset because no one really knows we're a couple yet. We've been keeping it under wraps… for now."

"If nobody's quick enough to notice there's something going on just from the way you two look at each other, then they can stay in the dark, damn fools. Your secrets safe with me."

"Thank you." Brennan said, almost meekly. "What's in the file?"

"Hospital records. The tox screen was negative."

"What? That's impossible."

"No Rohypnol? No ketamine?" Booth questioned.

"Nothing but a touch of alcohol, not even enough to affect a little baby. A jury is never gonna believe this amnesia story."

"Well, but it's true." Booth said convinced.

"Maybe this is true to : Legiere tried to rape you." she said to Brennan, then adds, "He was a notorious horndog from what I've learned. We claim self defense, cop a plea. You're out in three years."

"The hell she is! No, no way! I don't care what it looks like or how you're reading the evidence, Carolyn. She didn't do it." he said, getting worked up.

Brennan shot him a loving look as she picked up the folder and looked through the x-rays inside.

"Could be that's true, Seeley. You vouch for her, that's good enough for me. But, chere, this looks bad. All you got on your side is proof you got roughed up – these pictures from the clinic, these x-rays."

"My wrist – the doctor was wrong. He said this was a Colles fracture from a fall. This break shows surface trauma on the outside of the bone. This was either defensive or someone slammed my wrist into something."

"Maybe because you tried to stab him in the heart with a knife?"

"No, think about it." Brennan reasoned, "If I'd already stabbed the attacker, he wouldn't have been able to break my wrist."

"I like this," Carolyn says, getting into it, "what else?"

"Well, there's the mojo bag. I mean someone was trying to put a forgetting spell on her." added Booth.

"Booth, I don't see what relevance that has to my case."

"Hey, I can work with that. This is New Orleans, baby." she gets up to leave. "And where's my Beignet?"

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"So," Booth began as they walked through the last security checkpoint coming out of Dulles airport, his arm slung around Brennan's shoulders, "glad to be back home, safe and sound, away from all the voodoo hoodoo?"

"So, so happy." she said honestly, laying her head over on his shoulder as the arm wrapped around his waist squeezed him closer to her. "Thank you for coming to my rescue. And for getting me back my mother's earring."

"That's my job, I am you knight after all." he joked with her as they descended the escalator to the baggage claim area.

"I still can't believe you compromised the crime scene to…" she was cut off by an ear splitting shriek. And Then…

"_Oh_… _my_… _god_! Sweetie!!!"

"Oh shit!" Brennan and Booth exclaimed in tandem at the sight of Angela standing before them a triumphant smile on her face.

"Well, it's about damn time, that's all I can say. You two have got to tell me _everything_."

* * *

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What a place to leave it, huh : ) Hope you enjoy, again sorry for the crazy long, insane, torturous delay in the updates. Thanks again for all the love shown for the story, please keep it up. Be back soon (I promise) Love you all. Nessa : )

And please, please, please let me know what you think by dropping me a line in the form of a beautiful review. Hugs 'n' kisses ; )


	14. This is not an Update

Hi everyone, long time no see (my bad). After receiving some rather RUDE pm's and such, I lost my muse for this fic. However, after much internal debate and thinking upon the matter, I've decided I'm into adding more. So, first off, sorry this is not a new chapter. I am working on an update and am in need of a BetaReader that is a fan of the story or my writing (no rude people need apply - I know who you are). So please send me some pm's or reviews if you're interested in helping. Thanks. Now I'm off to write…

P.o.M.


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